Eye of the Black Dragon
by snakeboy33
Summary: Instead of being raised by Igneel, Natsu is raised by Acnologia. How will the world take it, as the Chaos Dragon Slayer emerges. Could be called OOC, but maybe not entirely. First of the "Acnologia raises Natsu" stories, I checked.
1. Student of the Black Dragon

_**Student of the Black Dragon**_

Acnologia leisurely yawned, baring his teeth slightly as he rested on a cliff. He had been flying all day and night, and he wanted to take a break. There was a small city near, but Acnologia didn't really think he was up to it. He just wasn't in a very destructive frame of mind. Maybe he'd come back next week.

The black dragon was suddenly disturbed from his passiveness, when he heard some soft crying. His eyes wandered down, and he noticed a small human wandering through the forest. It was a young boy, who had pink hair, and was only wear a worn out pair of pants. From what Acnologia could hear, the boy was crying.

The dragon blinked slightly, as he went flew down for a closer look. Acnologia landed right in front of the boy, surprising him, and making him scream even more.

"GO AWAY!" the boy cried as he fell down. Acnologia didn't respond at first, as he studied the boy.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" the boy cried again, as his tears came back even more. Not really interested in dealing with the kid, Acnologia held up his finger, and got ready to crush the kid like an insect.

"LEAVE!" the boy screamed again, in a tone that didn't seem as afraid, but more demanding. That made Acnologia pause, for a reason he didn't really know. Looking at the child more closely, he reminded the Apocalypse Dragon of Igneel in one way or another. That piqued Acnologia's interest somewhat.

"Where are your parents?" the dragon rumbled. The kid's head shot up, and met the colossal dragon's gaze. He remained sniffling, and tearing.

"You can either answer me, or I can smash you into a paste," Acnologia said frankly. That got the kid talking.

"D… Dead," the boy stuttered slowly, through his tears," I'm… I'm alone."

"So I assembled," Acnologia said," Did you come from the village nearby?" The boy slowly nodded.

"What's your name?"

"N… N…," the boy stuttered.

"Stutter again, and I will swallow you whole," Acnologia hissed.

"Natsu!" the boy yelled quickly.

_Summer_, Acnologia thought, noting the meaning of the boy's name. He decided it was fitting, because of his pink hair, and fiery personality. Despite himself, Acnologia laughed, his interest in this child growing by the second.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked nervously.

"You amuse me boy," Acnologia answered calmly," You just might be worth keeping around." That was when the dragon slowly scooped Natsu up in one of his claws, and held him up to eye level.

"From this moment onward, you are my apprentice," Acnologia said. Natsu's eyes widened.

"Are you going to take care of me?" he asked slowly.

"I wouldn't say…," Acnologia began, but before he could finish, Natsu happily jumped up, and grabbed Acnologia's nose.

"THANK YOU!" he said.

Acnologia decided to let the human have his moment, no skin of his teeth. Despite what the boy might think though, Acnologia was not doing this out of the kindness of his heart. For him, it was more amusing to see human's destroy each other, before he stepped in and finished the job. If Acnologia could raise Natsu to hate humanity as he did, Natsu would do the heavy lifting for him, and it would be interesting to see how a human destroyed humanity in such a fashion.

"We will waste no time," Acnologia said," First light tomorrow, we will begin training!"

**(break)**

Natsu snored loudly, as he lay in the cave that Acnologia showed him to.

"WAKE!" came a sudden roar. Natsu let out a yelp as he jumped up, and hit his head on the rocks. He groaned, as he looked up. He noticed Acnologia standing at the entrance of his cave.

"We have no time to waste, human!" Acnologia said firmly," We must begin now!"

"But its so early!" Natsu complained.

"You confuse me with an individual who cares," Acnologia growled," Now you have a few seconds before I force you out of that cave!" Natsu moaned as he staggered into the light. With that, the training began.

It did not take Natsu long to hate training. All the time, Acnologia ran him absolutely ragged, barely ever giving him a chance to take a break. And what the dragon made Natsu do, seemed just as outlandish. It involved Natsu breaking apart large rocks, and uprooting trees.

One time, when Natsu was trying to take down a large tree, he collapsed.

"On your feet!" Acnologia ordered as he hovered over him. the force from his wings causing Natsu to hold onto the ground so that he didn't go flying.

"I can't!" Natsu cried.

"I said, on your feet!" Acnologia repeated," I know you are stronger than that! Now get up!"

Natsu weakly got up, as he charged at the try once again. He charged the dark energy Acnologia taught him how to harness, and slammed it into the tree. The tree split apart, and was obliterated. Natsu took a breath, as he managed to calm down.

"Why did you stop!" Acnologia roared," Destroy the entire forest!"

"But…," Natsu began.

"DO IT!"

After a moment's hesitation, Natsu let out a roar, as he charged, destroying all the trees he could see.

"That's it Natsu!" Acnologia said as his student rampaged on," Show no mercy! Crush your enemies with no hesitation!" Natsu let our an animalistic roar, as he continued to destroy the forest. He then took a deep breath, and gathered the energy in his mouth, before firing it into the trees, leveling them. It might not have been as strong as Acnologia's attack, but it still did a number and created a small clearing.

Exhausted Natsu collapsed, but Acnologia caught him.

"Impressive," he said softly, as he looked at the sleeping Natsu," I suppose taking you in was a good idea after all."

**(break)**

Over the years, Natsu's training with Acnologia began to show incredible results. Natsu had a power level that would impress someone, looking at his stature. But it took a personal level on Natsu. The boy was now dark, steadfast, and ruthless. He showed no hesitation when he was fighting and never let mercy take hold of him.

Interestingly, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia, also seemed to be affected by the years. He became protective of Natsu, and taught him other skills, such as how to read and write. The relationship between the two became closer, and became more akin to father and son, rather than just teacher and student.

However, everything took a sudden turn, one day, in the year x777.

Natsu yawned, as he wandered towards where his teacher normally spent his time.

"Hey, Acnologia!" he called, but when he looked around, there was nothing to be seen. The giant black dragon seemed to have vanished.

"Acnologia!" Natsu called as he looked around, but there was nothing there. Natsu ran, as he desperately looked for his foster father, but no such luck.

"Dad!" he cried before falling to his knees.

**Note: Well, this was the first chapter of the story.**

**I am in need of suggestions as to how the story should play out, and I also wonder what element we could call Acnologia. As you might have guessed, Natsu is going to act much darker in this story, since he was raised by Acnologia. I'm not sure if he's going to join Fairy Tail, and even if, I don't know how he would be able to.**

**I don't know if I can fit pairings into this**


	2. The Chaos Dragon Arrives

_**The Chaos Dragon Arrives**_

Porlyusica studied a beaker filled with a crimson liquid closely. Finding nothing that exceeded her expectations, she set the beaker aside, and she jotted some things down in her notes. She walked out of her cottage, and worked slightly with some of the herbs in her garden.

She then heard some leaves rustling, and Porlyusica looked up. Walking down the trail, was a young boy, looking about ten years old. From what Porlyusica could see he was wearing a black vest, with black pants, and had an obsidian necklace around his neck. He also had spiky pink hair.

_Great, a human_ she thought to herself. Porlyusica sighed however, despite her better judgement, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep that well at night if she let a seemingly helpless child walk out on his own in the forest, especially considering what might lurk in the trees.

"Hey brat!" she called. The boy looked up, and over at Porlyusica. The elderly woman was taken aback slightly by the boy's eyes. There were empty, and had a far away look in them. But what really sent shivers down Porlyusica's spine, was the boy's aura. It was almost… sinister. Porlyusica felt like she was looking into the eyes of some kind of beast, prying to get free. Managing to compose herself somewhat, she went to business.

"Where are you going?" she questioned.

"It doesn't concern you," the boy answered dully, as he kept walking. Porlyusica blocked his way.

"That is not an answer," she said firmly," You are no leaving this place until I get an answer. And I also want your name."

"Since you aren't going to leave me alone," the boy said," My name is Natsu Dragonia, and I guess I'm not going anywhere." Porlyusica blinked slightly.

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

"I don't have any," Natsu said plainly, as if it were typical.

_Isn't that a cliche?_ Porlyusica thought to herself with an internal sigh.

"Fine then, you're coming with me," she said.

"No," Natsu said blandly. Porlyusica then picked him up by the collar.

"I am not really giving you a choice in the matter," she said firmly.

"Let me go!" Natsu said as he thrashed around. Porlyusica sighed slightly.

"You might be a good addition to Makarov's little party," she said, before silently adding _Maybe he can help you_. With that in mind, she struck out for Fairy Tail, with Natsu still yelling and squirming.

**(break)**

In the Fairy Tail guild, things were relatively typical. Macao and Wakaba were talking and drinking. Erza and Mirajane were getting into their standard squabbles, while Elfman and Lisanna watched them. Cana was sitting relatively alone. Gray was stripping every so often, and it took people to remind him. Gildarts and Makarov were sitting at the bar, conversing. Laxus was standing alone, listening to his headphones. The others were doing their general schtick.

"It seems like not much has happened lately," Gildarts noted.

"I suppose we haven't gotten that many new members, so not much really can happen," Makarov said with a shrug.

"Red headed witch!" Mirajane said as she and Erza wrestled on the ground.

"White hair hag!" Erza countered.

"Should we break them up?" Gildarts asked.

"I don't think we need to," Makarov answered," They normally resolve that kind of stuff on their own."

The guild doors suddenly opened, and everyone turned to see Porlyusica at the doorway.

"Porlyusica?" Makarov asked," What are you doing here?"

"Why are you even in town?" Gildarts asked," I thought you hated places where humans are."

"I do," Porlyusica said," But I'm not here for the people. I'm here for this." With that, she held up a still thrashing and screaming Natsu.

"I said let me go!" Natsu yelled.

"Who's that kid?" Gray asked as he noticed the kid dressed all in black.

"I don't know," Cana answered," I've never seen him before." Porlyusica walked into the building, as Natsu continued to twist and turn in Porlyusica grasp.

"And who is that?" Makarov questioned.

"A kid I found wandering in the forest," Porlyusica answered," His name is Natsu Dragonia."

"Where are his parents?" Gildarts asked. Porlyusica initially answered by throwing a book at his face.

"That is one more thing I hate about humans," she said," They never let someone finish. This kid doesn't have any parents." Gildarts frowned.

"Man, that's bad," he said, before bending down to see Natsu, and he grinned," Hey kid, what's going?" Natsu just glared at him.

"Go away!" he yelled.

"Natsu isn't the most agreeable of kids," Porlyusica said," And that's part of the reason I brought him."

"What's the other part then?" Makarov questioned. Porlyusica knitted her brow slightly.

"I believe it is best that we speak about that in private," she said. Makarov shrugged.

"Fine," he said as he jumped off his seat on the counter, and headed to the back room along with Porlyusica, but not before she dropped Natsu on the floor.

"OW!" Natsu complained as he stood up and rubbed his sore rear. He looked around, and noticed a lot of people were staring at him.

"What's everyone staring at?" he snapped. That got most of the people to look away, but the younger people kept staring.

"Hi!" Lisanna said as she walked over, smiling big," I'm Lisanna. Your name is Natsu right?" Natsu just looked at her, and then looked away. Lisanna's smile faded for a time, but she quickly regained it.

"Come on!" she insisted, as she grabbed Natsu's hand," Let's be friends!" Natsu's eyes narrowed as Lisanna grabbed his hand, and he then grabbed her wrist with his own hand.

"Don't. Touch. Me," he said firmly, as he held his grip on Lisanna's hand. He then threw Lisanna down.

"Ouch," Lisanna said weakly.

"Hey!" Mira yelled as she stood up," Leave my little sister alone!" Natsu didn't respond to her yelling.

"Didn't you hear me?" she demanded, as she stood up, and walked towards Natsu," Leave her alone!" Natsu just looked at Mira briefly.

"Whatever," he said dismissively, as he walked away.

"What's his problem?" Gray muttered.

"I don't know," Erza answered with a shrug.

**(break)**

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Makarov asked. Porlyusica looked away slightly.

"The other reason I brought him was because of his aura," she answered," His aura was very dark." Makarov narrowed his eyes.

"Dark?"

"Exactly," Porlyusica answered," This boy has a look in his eyes that betrays a sense of hatred, and loathing." Makarov folded his arms.

"What could have caused a boy his age to become like that?" he said, staring at the floor.

"I don't know," Porlyusica answered," But one thing is for sure, that boy has almost lost all of his humanity."

"Almost?" Makarov asked, looking up.

"I can see that there is a little bit of a child left inside of him," Porlyusica explained," That is why I brought him here. I know you and your students are probably the only ones who can help him." Makarov took a breath as he closed his eyes slightly.

"This kid sounds like he's had it rough," he said," I can only hope that there is something we can do. But he's not going to be happy about staying."

"That is up for you to solve."

**(break)**

Natsu was sitting on a chair, his arms folded, and he was staring at the ground in silence. His hands were absently fiddling with his necklace.

"That kid is weird," Gray said, as he and the others stared at Natsu.

"I wonder why he's acting like that?" Cana asked softly.

"He seems like a loner," Elfman said.

"Maybe he just needs someone to be his friend," Lisanna said.

"You still think that after he shoved you on the floor?" Mira said with a frown, temporarily breaking her hard glare on Natsu.

"I don't really think he's that bad," Lisanna said," From what Porlyusica said, he's been alone. Maybe we could make him a friend, and help him."

"People don't change that easily," Erza said, folding her arms, and not breaking her analyzing look on Natsu.

"You never know until you try," Lisanna said," Let's go!" With that, she started to walk towards Natsu, but Erza stopped her.

"Give him some time to adjust," she said.

As she said that, Makarov and Porlyusica walked out.

"I'm trusting you on this Makarov," Porlyusica said, as she left. Makarov then approached Natsu.

"So, Natsu Dragonia," he said.

"Go away," Natsu said blandly.

"That would be a no," Makarov said calmly," And I'll be frank, from this moment onward, you are a member of our guild." The six younger members gasped at Makarov's proclamation. Natsu's reaction wasn't as subdued.

"WHAT?"

**Note: I was a little stuck as to how to factor Fairy Tail in this (thanks for all the suggestions), so I brainstormed a little, and I came up with this. I know Makarov's declaration was abrupt, but I am hoping to expand on why Natsu will stay further on. I am still taking suggestions**


	3. Chaos Dragon's Roar

_**Chaos Dragon's Roar**_

"I don't want to join a guild!" Natsu yelled.

"Too bad," Makarov said calmly," Because you are."

"But old man!" Gray yelled as he ran over," Why does he have to join?"

"Look at him, Gray," Makarov said," What this guy needs is a family."

"Man that's old," Laxus said offhandedly, but nobody paid attention to him.

"I'm not going to join your guild!" Natsu insisted.

"As I said, too bad," Makarov insisted," Now Gildarts, if you would be so kind?" Gildarts walked over, and picked up Natsu by the collar.

"Sorry kid," he said.

"HEY!" Natsu yelled, as he thrashed. Makarov waved his finger threw the air, forming magical lines, before snapping his fingers. The lines close around Natsu's right ankle.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"I placed a seal on you," Makarov answered," Now, you will be unable to leave Magnolia, unless I say otherwise. And for now, you can't even leave this building." Natsu's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"You can't do that!" Natsu said.

"And yet I just did," Makarov said," You can put him down now Gildarts." Gildarts sighed as he set Natsu down gently. Natsu immediately broke and ran, but once he reached the door, he slammed into an invisible wall.

"What the…," Natsu said as he pounded on it.

"Didn't you hear me?" Makarov asked," You can't leave the building unless I say so." Natsu turned to Makarov before glaring, and running off to the corner. Makarov sighed.

"Don't worry yourself over this, Master," Gildarts said," This is for his own good."

"I don't like having to force people to join the guild," Makarov said as he rubbed the back of his head. Gray then ran up to him.

"Old man!" he yelled," Why are you letting him join? He's out of control!"

"That is part of the reason we are taking him in," Makarov answered," What that boy needs is control. He also needs a family, something his master probably denied him." He then turned to all the young members.

"I want you all to do what you can to befriend him," he instructed," Make him feel welcome and wanted." Before there could be any protests, Makarov walked away.

"Ugh!" Mira groaned," I can't believe he's making us do all of this!"

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Cana said," He doesn't seem all bad."

"Yes he does," Gray said as he looked at Natsu. Erza responded by slapping him in the back of his head.

"Well, Master does want us to interact with him," Lisanna said as she started to walk over to where Natsu was sitting.

"Lisanna!" Elfman said, but Lisanna didn't pay attention. She walked up to where Natsu was. The rest of the group looked at each other, before following.

"Hi!" she said with a chipper look and smile. Natsu just looked at her briefly.

"Leave me alone," he said.

"I'm only following Master's instructions," Lisanna said, still smiling, as she sat next to him, which Natsu didn't seem incredibly happy about. Lisanna looked at Natsu's necklace.

"That's a nice necklace," she said," What is it made out of?" Natsu didn't answer, so Lisanna moved to another topic.

"Who gave it to you, your parents?" she asked.

"Lisanna!" Erza yelled. Lisanna gasped, remembering that Natsu didn't have any parents.

"Sorry! Sorry!" she said quickly.

"My master left it for me," Natsu said suddenly. The six kids all looked at Natsu at him suddenly speaking.

"Your master?" Elfman asked.

"He raised me, and taught me how to use magic," Natsu said, as he tinkered with his necklace," Before he disappeared, he left me this necklace."

"Oh, I'm sorry he died," Cana said sympathetically. Natsu glared at her.

"He didn't die, he disappeared!" he snapped.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Cana said as she took a step back, looking intimidated.

"Lighten up!" Gray snapped right back. Natsu just glared at him, but looked away.

From the other side of the guild, Macao and Wakaba were watching. Reedus was sitting next to them, painting.

"Hopefully this doesn't start something," Macao said.

"I don't see why it would," Wakaba said," Its just kids having a tussle."

"Granted Natsu doesn't seem to have much of a child in him anymore," Macao said," Poor kid. I wonder what turned him like this?"

"Maybe his master?" Wakaba offered.

"That was probably it," Reedus said, looking up from his painting for a moment," Odds are that Natsu was pounded with forms of training that made him hard like that."

"That's a thought," Macao said.

Meanwhile, with the kids, the group was still trying in vain to get connected with Natsu. Every time they attempted to approach him, he would just shoot them down. Gray and Mira were on the verge of just giving up, but the others managed to persuade them otherwise.

"So, what kind of magic do you use?" Elfman asked. Natsu still didn't answer.

"Hey!" Gray said, as he finally lost his patience, and walked up to Natsu, and shoved him slightly," What do you use?" Natsu's eyes shot up, and he suddenly stood up on the bench, held his fist, and slammed it into Gray. The young ice mage was sent flying across the guild, and crashed into Macao and Wakaba's table.

"GRAY!" several people yelled at the same time. Gray groaned as he lay in the pile of wreckage, visibly injured.

"What did you do that for?" Erza demanded. Natsu didn't answer, as he jumped down from his position on the bench, his fists clenched, a dark look in his eyes. Despite themselves, all the kids, even Mira and Erza took a step back. Erza however, narrowed her eyes, and drew her sword and pointed it at Natsu.

"If you want a fight, then I'll give you one," she declared," I'll beat you up!"

"What's going on?" Makarov demanded, as he and Gildarts approached.

"Stay out of this Master!" Erza snapped as she looked at Makarov. Surprised by her outburst, both men stopped. It was then, that Makarov saw what Porlyusica meant. That boy had a dark feeling to him, and Makarov could almost see the dark power irradiating from him.

When he got his head together, Makarov was about to put an end to it, but Erza struck first, as she got ready to attack Natsu. She launched herself forward. Natsu managed to dodge.

"What does that newbie think he's going to do?" Mira asked, folding her arms, with a smirk," He doesn't stand a chance against Erza!"

"Forget about that, Sis!" Lisanna said," We got to help Gray!" With that, all the kids save Erza ran over to where Gray was.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Erza continued to fight. Granted, it mostly consisted of Erza through strikes at Natsu, and him dodging. This made Erza frustrated, and with a yell, she threw a punch, and managed to hit Natsu in the face. That sent Natsu skidding backward, but when Erza smirked at her accomplishment, it faded right after. She saw a wicked look in Natsu's eyes, which terrified her, making her feel paralyzed.

Natsu held up his face, and a magical seal appeared around his hand. The seal was strange though, in that it was pitch black, with blue details. In the center, was the image of a dragon head, with four horns, and a pointed chin. Blue energy then gathered in Natsu's hand, before he launched himself at Erza.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he roared, as he thrust it forward, and before Erza could respond, it smashed into her gut. She let out a gasp, as she was thrown back, her armor severely dented. She crashed into the wall, bruised.

"ERZA!" Makarov yelled, as everyone gasped at Natsu's accomplishment. But he wasn't done yet. He took a deep breath, as the energy began to gather in his mouth.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" he yelled, as he released it. The energy shot out of his mouth, and Erza's eyes widened. However, Gildarts shot forward, and pinned Natsu, causing his aim to slip, and to instead, shoot up. The blast was immense, as it destroyed part of the ceiling.

"Look at all of that power," Macao said in shock.

"He beat Erza!" Wakaba said.

"Are you crazy?" Gildarts demanded as he pinned Natsu," You could have seriously hurt Erza!"

"Let me go!" Natsu insisted as he thrashed around. Erza was still in a state of shock, as to how a new person managed to defeat her, which almost no one managed to accomplish.

"He just… took down Erza," Mira stuttered in horror, as she and the other kids stared.

Makarov approached a pinned Natsu.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me," he said with a sigh," Gildarts, let him go."

"But Master…"

"Do it!"

Gildarts then reluctantly moved off Natsu, allowing him to move free again. With that, he turned and ran out of the building.

"I thought he couldn't leave the building?" Reedus asked.

"Don't worry, he can't leave Magnolia," Makarov explained," I just figured it would be best if he could leave the guild hall."

"What do we do about him?" Gildarts asked.

"Let him get his thoughts together," Makarov answered," Right now, we need to tend to Erza and Gray."

**(break)**

Natsu sat on a tree branch in the park, his leg's curled to his chest. His thoughts were completely scattered. He had shown no hesitation or mercy like he was taught, but when he did it with Acnologia, he was praised. But when he did it in the guild, he was attacked. Natsu just didn't understand.

But what also got him thinking, was Gildarts, and how he had managed to pin Natsu, something only Acnologia was capable of doing. That made him wonder, how strong was he? Natsu looked at his fist and clenched it, knowing he had to get stronger. He needed to, in order for Acnologia to come back.

That also made him think about the guild itself. The guild seemed to be chaotic, but strong in its own right. Maybe…

**(break)**

The next morning, Erza and Gray were both bandaged up, but they were in a rather unhappy move.

"I can't believe that new kid beat us up!" Gray complained.

"Stop complaining!" Erza said," I was also beaten, and I'm not whining." However, it was pretty obvious she was struggling not to explode.

"I can't believe he beat you Erza," Elfman said.

"Looks like your losing your touch!" Mira said, folding her arms. Erza glared at her, and grabbed her collar.

"When I get off these bandages, I'm going to take you down!" she declared.

"I'd like to see you try!"

"The way they were acting you would assume nothing happened at all," Macao said as he and Wakaba watched.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and in walked Natsu. Everyone recoiled slightly, save for Gildarts and Makarov.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Makarov questioned. Natsu took a deep breath.

"I want to join your guild!" he declared. Everyone gasped at his proclamation.

"Why is that?" Makarov asked, curious about the sudden change in mood. Natsu looked at Gildarts.

"I need to get stronger," he said," And also, I need to find my master!"

"Your master?" Gildarts asked. Natsu nodded.

"Who was your master?" Makarov asked. Natsu paused, before closing his eyes, and opening them again.

"The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia."

The silence set over the guild was so thick, one could cut it in half with a knife. For a second, the floorboards even stopped creaking, as everyone just stared at Natsu.

"He's a Dragon Slayer," Reedus said.

"No wonder he's so strong," Cana said," I heard Dragon Slayers are really tough!"

"The Black Dragon?" Makarov said in awe," Acnologia. Possibly the strongest dragon of them all."

"Not just possibly!" Natsu insisted," THE strongest dragon! And I want to join, because if I get stronger, maybe I'll be able to find Acnologia!" Suddenly, it made sense as to why Natsu was found alone, he was left by his foster parent.

"After what you did, you can't join!" Gray yelled.

"That is where you are wrong, Gray," Makarov said as he jumped down, and walked forward to Natsu.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragonia."

**Note: Sorry for the ending. I wasn't sure how to conclude this chapter, but I am satisfied about how the bulk of it turned out, hope you are as well. I am always taking suggestions (I actually probably need some)**


	4. Spirit Mistress and Dragon Slayer

_**The Spirit Mistress and the Dragon Slayer**_

"Gah!" Lucy moaned as she walked down the road. The entire day, she had been trying to find a store with decent prices. Granted, there was no such luck.

"Why is it that whenever I'm low on my money, the prices go up?" she complained as she stormed down the street," I swear…."

She sighed as she sat down on a bench

"Man, is joining Fairy Tail even worth it?" she wondered out loud. Despite those words, Lucy quickly shook them out of her head. Of course joining the Fairy Tail guild was worth it. Anything would be worth it!

As she sat down, she noticed a a tall figure walking her direction. He was wearing a black cloak with a hood, that obscured his face.

_Might as well ask this guy for directions_, she thought. She then stood up, and hurried over to where the person was.

"Excuse me?" she said," Do you know if there are any cheap stores nearby?"

Unfortunately, the person didn't even answer. Instead, he just walked right past her.

"Um, hello?" Lucy called. Again, no response.

"Its not really worth it," a voice said. Lucy looked down and saw a blue cat. But that wasn't what got her. It was the fact that the cat just talked. Lucy yelped slightly.

"What are you screaming about, I'm just a cat," the cat said," My name is Happy."

"But cats don't talk!" Lucy said.

"But I just did," Happy said with a shrug," Its kind of weird." Lucy sighed, as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well," she said," Why didn't that guy answer me?"

"That guy doesn't normally talk to people," Happy said," He barely talks to the other people in our guild when he's around."

"You guys are part of a guild?" Lucy asked.

"Aye! Fairy Tail!" Happy said proudly. Lucy's eyes widened, before a huge smile came up.

"You mean…," she began, but she didn't get to finish.

"Hurry up!" the man in the hood called to Happy.

"Coming!" Happy said, as he ran after the cloaked figure, who Lucy figured the cat was with. Lucy sighed, figuring it wan't worth pursuing them.

She then continued walking down the direction she was intending. However, the blonde was soon broken from her thoughts when she heard the distinct sound of fangirls. Lucy turned, and saw a crowd of women gathered around. From where she was standing, she could only make out "Salamander".

Curious, Lucy headed down there. As she pushed her way through the crowd, she saw a tall man with purple hair posing.

"Please ladies," he said," One at a time."

_This is "Salamander"_ she thought to herself, arching an eyebrow. But then, a strange feeling came over her. Her heart began to beat faster.

"What.. is this?" she stuttered, as a strange sensation spread through her body. She looked at the man naming himself after an amphibian, but then, there was a familiar voice.

"Out of my way!"

The feeling instantly left Lucy, and she looked over her shoulder, to see the same black cloaked individual and blue cat walking over.

"Who the hell are you?" Salamander demanded.

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" the man said, as he approached.

Salamander flipped his hair.

"Clearly you don't know who I am," he said," I am the legenda…" Before he could finish, the cloaked man held up his fist, and smashed it into Salamander's gut, sending him flying, and crashing into a wall. Lucy gasped at how easily the hooded figure trounced this guy. Apparently, the force of the attack blew his hood off, revealing spiky pink hair, and sharp features. Lucy's heart sped up for a moment again, but she managed to calm it down.

"SALAMANDER!" all the fangirls cried as they hurried over to where their "beloved" was.

"Don't you think that was a bit much, Natsu?" Happy asked as he walked up.

"No," the man, who Lucy decided was named Natsu, said frankly, before turning, and walking away. Happy hurried after him.

"Wait!" Lucy said as she ran over, and grabbed Natsu's shoulder. Natsu shot a look towards her darkly, which made Lucy briefly recoil.

"Can you help me?" she asked.

"Again, no," Natsu said as he began to walk away again.

"But I just need directions!" Lucy explained, as she hurried after him.

"I'm not a map," Natsu said.

"Come on, Natsu!" Happy said with a smile.

"I said no!" Natsu said.

"Please!" Happy said as he tugged on Natsu's pant leg, which caused him to trip. The pink-haired teen however, managed to balance on his hands, and land back on his feet.

"Fine!" he said," What do you want?"

Lucy, taken somewhat aback, jumped from foot to foot briefly.

"I was wondering if you could help me find Fairy Tail," she said," I could really use some directions." Natsu blinked.

"Fairy Tail?" he asked," Are you a mage?"

"Yeah! I'm a Stellar Spirit Mage!" Lucy explained.

"So you handle with spirits, eh?" Natsu said," Whatever. Just…" Suddenly, Salamander hoisted himself up.

"You bastard!" he yelled," Who do you think you are?" Natsu just turned back briefly in a lazy fashion, and kept walking. This got Salamander mad, as he held up his hand, and a magic seal appeared, before he shot a stream of purple fire at Natsu.

"Look out!" Lucy said, as she jumped at Natsu, but suddenly, something pulled her back. And up.

The blonde looked up, and saw Happy… with wings.

"You can… fly?" Lucy stuttered. Happy nodded.

"Aye! I'm a mage too!" he said proudly.

"What about Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu is an S-Class mage, that's nothing for him," Happy said. Natsu just turned, and swatted the flames away with a flick of his wrist. Salamander's eyes widened in horror.

"But…," he said. Natsu narrowed his eyes, as he dropped his cloak. It revealed a solid black vest with blue outlines, with black pants with blue outlines. Around his neck, was an obsidian necklace. And on his right shoulder, was the Fairy Tail symbol, in black, but it had a blue outline. Salamander's eyes widened.

"That… symbol," he stuttered. Natsu just walked forward slowly.

"I know who you are now," he said," You're that lame copier, Bora." The man, recently revealed to be named Bora, fell down on his back.

"But… but…," he stuttered. Natsu clasped both of his hands together, and his own magical seal appeared. His necklace then began to glow slightly.

"That seal," Bora said, before realization hit him like a typhoon," You're Fairy Tail's Chaos Dragon!"

"Chaos Dragon's Cannon!" Natsu said as he shot a stream of energy at Bora from his hands. However, it missed.

"It missed!" Lucy said.

"Natsu never misses," Happy said. Lucy looked up briefly. Bora was panting heavily at what just happened.

"Get out of my sight," Natsu said. Whimpering, Bora scrambled away.

Happy and Lucy landed.

"You guys coming?" Natsu asked as he began walking.

"Aye!" Happy said as he soared after Natsu. For a second, Lucy didn't know what to do. Natsu stopped and turned.

"Coming blondie?" he asked. Lucy blinked, before smiling and nodding, and hurrying after Natsu.

"What's your name?" Natsu asked plainly.

"Lucy."

**Note: Here is chapter 4. I was a little worried as to how to have Natsu and Lucy meet, so I went with my gut instinct, and this is the result. Not very special, but I'm satisfied. I am still in need of ideas, and let me establish that if there are going to be pairings, Natsu x Lisanna will not be among them. Speaking of Lisanna, she isn't dead in this story.**

**As I said, I still need ideas**


	5. The Guild That is Fairy Tail

_**The Guild That is Fairy Tail**_

Lucy was not entirely sure what to think at the time. Her emotions were in a complete jumble, in fact she could feel several at once. Those emotions included happiness, excitement, and even, to an extent fear.

While she was in her thoughts though, Natsu started to walk away.

"Aren't you going to meet your guild mates?" Lucy asked.

"No," Natsu answered bluntly. Lucy blinked.

"O-kay," she said slowly.

"Stay here Happy!" Natsu instructed.

"But Natsu…," the blue cat began.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Natsu interrupted. Happy sighed.

"No," he said.

"Good," Natsu said, as he calmly walked away.

"What's with him?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu is a loner, he always has been."

With that, Lucy took a deep breath, and opened the doors of the guild.

The first thing that her brain received, wasn't from her eyes, but rather from her ears. The noise in the guild seemed like a combination of a rave, a tea party, and above all, a fight club. For a moment, it felt like her ears were just going to death from her head and run away, not that she would blame them.

After her ears reset themselves, Lucy was able to get a full view of the guild, and her jaw fell to the ground. Every color in the spectrum the eye could pick up was flashing through the room, from every place she could imagine. People of all shapes and sizes were around, talking, drinking, and even fighting.

"Oh my…," was all she could manage.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy said enthusiastically, as he spread his wings in front of Lucy. Eventually, Lucy's face became a smile.

"Wow," she murmured.

"I'll take you to get initiated!" Happy said as he flew over to the nearby bar. Standing there, polishing some drinking glasses, was a girl about Lucy's age with short white hair, wearing a blue shirt. She was calmly humming to herself.

"Lisanna!" Happy said a he launched himself forward. The girl, named Lisanna, looked up, and smiled broadly.

"Happy!" she said, as she caught the blue cat," You're back!"

"Aye! I brought someone!" Happy said, as he pointed to Lucy. Said blonde smiled and waved. The white haired girl smiled back.

"Welcome," she said," My name is Lisanna!"

"I'm Lucy! I was hoping I could join Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked. Lisanna smiled.

"A new recruit?" she asked," Great! We're always welcoming new members! You just have to talk to the Master."

"Where is he?" Lucy asked as she looked around. Lisanna opened her mouth to answer, but there was a sudden bang.

"Actually, by the sound of things, you'll probably find out fairly soon," she said with a weak smile, as she sweat dropped. Before Lucy could ask what she meant by that, there was another loud bang. The blonde turned, and saw two young woman who looked older than her staring down each other.

"What are you waiting for? Scared?" a girl with white hair tied up asked.

"I'm just nervous that it will be too easy, which it probably will," a girl with red hair and armor asked. That sent the white-haired girl off, and she charged. It didn't take long for an all out battle to erupt between the two of them. Lucy recoiled back.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously. Lisanna sighed.

"The girl with the white hair is my sister, Mirajane," she said," The girl with the red hair is Erza. Those two have been fighting for quite some time now."

"Shouldn't someone stop them?" Lucy asked.

"You can try if you want," Lisanna said," But it won't work. Once those two start fighting, there is almost no one who can stop them. What I'm more worried about is…"

Before Lisanna could finish, a bottle went flying through the air, and hit another guy.

"And here we go again," Lisanna said, before looking to Lucy," I suggest you take cover." She then ducked under the counter, while Happy followed closely Lucy opened her mouth to ask about that, but right as she did that, chaos erupted.

Bottles, plates, food, chairs, and even tables flew the air. Lucy let out a scream as she struggled to avoid all the flying bottles.

"Told you to take cover," Lisanna said nervously from her position under the counter," Just hope that Gray doesn't… oh too late." Lucy looked around to see what Lisanna was talking about. It did not take her long to regret it. She saw a young man, with the Fairy Tail symbol on his chest, wearing absolutely nothing by socks.

"Who has my underwear?" he roared out. Something told Lucy that wasn't an uncommon question that he asked. The guy who seemed to be named Gray turned to Lucy.

"Let me borrow your shirt," he said as if it were a simple request.

"NO WAY!" Lucy yelled, as she kicked Gray away. Kicking Gray into the crowd didn't do anything to help the situation. He apparently landed on someone, and the set off more fighting. A big guy with spiky white hair stood up.

"If you're a man, you will fight!" he roared, as he held up his fist, and it turned to stone.

"For crying out loud!" Lisanna said with a visible exasperated tone as she grabbed Lucy's collar and pulled her under the counter," Do I have to hit you on the head to get you aware?"

"I'm not used to this!" Lucy cried.

"Then you better get used to it," Lisanna said," Because this happens all the time."

Before Lucy could respond, there was the sound of a huge foot landing on the floor.

"Finally," Lisanna said, as she stood up, and Happy and Lucy followed.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" a voice that made the entire room shake roared.

It was as if someone had just pressed the mute button. The sound just vanished as it had been sucked away.

"I LEAVE FOR TWO MINUTES TO USE THE CAN, AND THIS HAPPENS?" the giant roared, as he loomed over all of them," GET OVER YOURSELVES!"

The people quickly dispersed and went back to their regular schedules.

"GOOD," the giant said, as he suddenly began to shrink," NOW THAT IS FINally over." Suddenly, in place of the giant, was a diminutive man with a white mustache, and an organ outfit. He cleared his throat.

"I'm getting too old for this," he said.

"Master!" Lisanna called.

The old man looked up as he jumped up.

"Yes?"

"This girl wants to join our guild!" Lisanna said, gesturing to Lucy, who smiled and bowed briefly. The master yawned as he grabbed a large jug of alcohol, and doused it in one swig.

"You know Cana won't appreciate you taking all her drinks," Lisanna said with a sweat-drop.

"Whatever?" the man said as he looked over Lucy.

"What's your name young lady?" he inquired.

"Lucy!" Lucy answered enthusiastically," I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage, and I want to join Fairy Tail!" The master raised an eyebrow, and then took another drink with a new cup.

"A Celestial Mage, eh?" he noted," We don't have a lot of those. Sure what, the heck? I'm always looking for new members." Lucy gasped, before smiling.

"You mean…," she began.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy," the master said," The names Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of Fairy Tail."

"I got the guild marker," Lisanna said as she held it up," Where would you like it?"

"On my hand," Lucy said as she held up her hand. Lisanna nodded, as she pressed the marker down. When she removed it, a pink Fairy Tail symbol was on it. Lucy's face spread into a smile, she was part of Fairy Tail.

**Note: I would have wanted this to be longer, but I didn't want to put my readers on much more of a waiting spree, and I was kind of short of ideas. I am always taking them**


	6. Story of the Chaos Dragon

_**Story of the Chaos Dragon**_

"So, what inspired you to join Fairy Tail?" Makarov inquired from his perch on the counter.

"Its a bit of a long story," Lucy answered, as she sat at the bar across from Makarov," But my mother was also a mage, so I wanted to become one myself."

"And you said you're a Celestial Spirit user?" Lisanna asked as she cleaned some glasses.

"Yeah," Lucy answered with a nod.

"What sort of spirits to you have?" Lisanna asked as she leaned on the table.

"I have three Golden Keys, and four Silver Keys," Lucy explained as she held up her key ring.

"That's interesting," Lisanna said with a smile," I use Take Over magic."

"So, any advice you can give me on where I can stay in Magnolia?" Lucy asked.

Lisanna opened her mouth to answer, but she didn't get the chance, as Erza suddenly materialized by Lucy's side.

"Allow me," she said," If you so desire, you can stay at Fairy Hills, which is where most of the female Fairy Tail members stay. I will be glad to give you the tour." Mirajane, however, suddenly appeared, shoving Erza over the other side of the bar.

"Pay no attention to that red-headed hag," the white-haired girl said," I'm clearly the most qualified."

Erza then launched herself at Mirajane, full force, and in no time at all, the two girls were going at it again.

"Just let them be," Lisanna said," If you want, I'll show you around."

"That's okay," Lucy said," I think I remember seeing apartment locations while walking here, so I might go and try those out."

"Alright," Lisanna said with a smile," If you need anything, you where to find us."

"Thanks!" Lucy said. She then turned, and saw Erza and Mira still battling.

"Do those two do that often?" she asked.

"On a daily basis," Gray answered as he walked up, and leaned on the bar next to Lucy," Those two have been like that since we were all kids."

"That's a scary thought," Lucy said as she shivered. It was then that she noticed that Gray wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Uh Gray…," Lisanna began," Your shirt…" Gray looked down.

"Oh, my bad!" he said, as he ran to go find his shirt.

"So, did you have any trouble finding the guild?" Erza asked, after she threw Mira onto the other side of the guild.

"A little, but someone managed to help me," Lucy answered.

"What was his or her name?" Lisanna asked.

"Natsu," Lucy answered. Suddenly, much of the guild froze at the mention of Natsu's name.

"Did she just say Natsu helped her?" one guy asked.

"I think she did," his friend answered.

"Natsu was here?" Erza asked, her eyes slightly wide, as she rubbed her stomach slightly.

"Aye," Happy answered for Lucy. The blonde looked around, and saw everyone somewhat tensed up.

"Why's everyone getting freaked out?" she asked.

"Natsu is one of the strongest members in the guild," Makarov said, his eye narrowed slightly.

"There are only a couple of people who can beat him," Gray said as he walked back up to where Lucy and the others were. As he did, the guild got talking again, but comparably softer than before.

"He once beat both myself and Gray without breaking a sweat when we're young," Erza said as she sat down on a stool.

"Is he that strong?" Lucy asked.

"Aye," Happy said softly," The only two who I can think of who can hold their own against him, are Laxus and Mystogan. The only two who can beat him are Gildartz and the Master."

"What is that guy's story anyway?" Lucy asked.

"Isn't that the million jewel question?" Makarov said as he set his mug down on the counter," Well for starters, he didn't really choose to join, he was kind of forced. And Natsu certainly wasn't happy about that."

"He rarely shows up, unless its to take an assignment," Lisanna said," And when he does come, he doesn't normally talk to a lot of people. He just sits alone and stares into space, or look at that necklace of his."

"What makes him so strong?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu is a Dragon Slayer," Makarov answered.

"A 'Dragon Slayer'?" Lucy echoed.

"That's right," the Master said with a nod.

"Now that you mention it, I remember somebody refer to him as the 'Chaos Dragon'," Lucy said. Gray let out a nervous chuckle.

"That would definitely fit him," he said," Natsu seems to enjoy destroying. He only takes really tough missions, which involve intense fighting."

"It makes sense, in light of who raised him," Erza said.

"Who raised him?" Lucy asked. The group around her looked somewhat tense.

"A dragon, called Acnologia," Makarov said slowly. As he said the name "Acnologia", a chill seem to reverberate throughout the guild, and some people seemed to pause.

"Acnologia?" Lucy echoed. That name sounded familiar to her, when she was taking her history lessons when she was young.

"The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse," Makarov explained," The dragon said to destroy an entire country on its own." Lucy found herself shuddering.

"And that's the…. thing that taught Natsu?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," Erza said.

"On the plus side, Natsu's got a bit of a reputation now," Lisanna said," It always brings business to the guild." Lucy seemed to still be uncomfortable, thinking about one of the most feared, and powerful Fairy Tail mages was the one who lead her to the guild.

**Note: Sorry about the delay, I have been having serious writer's block. And I'm still suffering from a little of it**


	7. The Dragon Returns

_**The Dragon Returns**_

"Hey, Lisanna?" Lucy asked as she leaned over the table. It was the day after she joined Fairy Tail, and she was still trying to make sure she had a firm foothold in the guild.

"What''s up?" Lisanna answered as she looked up from the table she was polishing. Happy was sitting next to her, munching on a fish.

"Why is everyone so wary of Natsu?" Lucy inquired. Lisanna paused her polishing and sighed, before setting the rag on the counter.

"Its a long story," she said.

"I don't have any given assignment yet, so I've got the time," Lucy responded.

"Alright then," Lisanna said," I suppose I'll try to sum it up as best I can, as quick as I can. As the Master told you, Natsu was basically forced to join the guild."

"Forcing someone to join Fairy Tail?" Lucy echoed, cocking her head," That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"That's what I thought at the time too," Lisanna agreed," I guess the idea was Natsu was supposed to be exposed to people more, so he became less anti-social."

"Doesn't seem like it worked," Lucy noted.

"You'd be surprised," Lisanna said, shaking her head," I think Natsu has made some progress since he joined." Unless Lucy was just being paranoid, and hearing things, it sounded like Lisanna was trying to convince herself about that.

"Well, I understand that much, but what I don't understand is people apparently being afraid of him," Lucy continued. The white-haired girl cringed.

"That is where the story gets rather dark," she said," Let's just say that Erza and Gray both ended up confronting him. Natsu beat them both with ease. He crushed Erza's armor like it was made out of tissue paper, and nearly left her with a few broken ribs." A shiver went down Lucy's spine. From what she got from watching Erza so far, she seemed to be the scary one. For a woman like that to be afraid of Natsu….

"Gives me chills," Lucy said.

"Natsu gives everyone chills," Lisanna said," That's another reason why a lot of people are afraid of him. He gives off this really sinister aura. Its almost…"

"Evil?" Lucy asked. Lisanna only nodded, averting her eyes. Natsu never struck her as being "evil", in fact, she didn't even think he was a bad person. Sure he was anti-social, but that was just about it. But for people in Natsu's own guild to think that he might be evil… it made Lucy shiver again.

"Has Natsu beaten anybody else since he joined?" she asked.

"Well, he's manage to defeat Laxus, and Mystogan," Happy said as he put down his fish.

"Plus Mirajane," Lisanna added, as she continued to wipe down the counter," The only two he's never manage to defeat are the Master himself, and Gildarts, although Laxus and Mystogan have managed to give him a good run for his money in the past, and Laxus actually beat him once, though only that time. Erza also occasionally challenges him, but he keeps beating her. That is, assuming that Natsu decides to take her up on her challenge, which he doesn't always do. Gray has also tried his luck against Natsu, but he never succeeds."

"Natsu sounds unbeatable," Lucy said. Happy stopped eating for a brief moment. Lisanna sighed.

"Well, maybe he is," she responded.

"Natsu can't be unbeatable!" Gray's voice suddenly interjected. The two girls looked over, and saw Gray standing there, with a visibly frustrated look.

"He's got to have a weakness," he insisted," There must be a way to beat him!"

"Gray's right!" Erza said as she walked up, clenching a fist," No one is completely invincible, and there has to be someway he can be taken down!"

"You two need to accept the facts," Macao said, as he looked up," You can't beat Natsu, right now. He's too strong."

"He's right," Wakaba said," If you keep challenging him like this, you'll get hurt even more than you have in the past."

"I don't care!" Gray declared," Natsu has to be beaten!"

"You two need to get in line!" Mirajane said as she jumped onto a table," If anyone's going to take down Natsu, its going to be me!"

"You three need to calm down," Makarov said as he walked onto the scene.

"But master…," Erza began.

"Natsu is not even here right now," the Master interrupted," And no matter how much you might resent him for his strength, you still to remember that he's a member of our family!" Mira, Gray, and Erza kept silent, but didn't protest. Lisanna adverted her eyes. Makarov apparently satisfied with that as a response.

"Right?" he said, frowning.

"Master…," Lisanna said," Natsu barely shows up at the guild, and even when he does show up, all he does is just sit alone and sulk."

"Porlyusica brought him to the guild in order to help get better accustomed to people," Makarov said," We need to do what we can for Natsu."

"You might want to be cautious," a familiar voice said. Everyone in the guild seemed to freeze. Lucy looked up, and saw Natsu sitting on the railing of the balcony of the second floor.

"You can never tell when the topic of the conversation will show up," the black-clad teenager said as he looked down. Most of the people tried to avert their eyes

"N…Natsu," Lisanna stuttered.

"When did you get back here?" Gray asked.

"I have been here for a while," Natsu answered," I just didn't want to interfere." The only one who didn't seem to be on their toes, was Makarov himself.

"So, the dragon has returned to its lair," he said," Where have you been lately?"

"I fail to see how that is your concern," Natsu answered.

"As your guild-master, I reserve the right to know where you have been, and what you were up to." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I just completed a quest," he said," And you might be contacted by the mayor of a small town called Figaro." Makarov pinched himself between the eyes, with a slight groan. Natsu then noticed Lucy.

"I notice you have apparently settled in…. Lucy, was it?" he said. Lucy just nervously nodded.

"Very well then," Natsu said, as he jumped off the balcony, and landed on the ground floor. Several people scurried away from him.

"I will be going now," he said, as he began to walk away.

"Natsu!" Gray's voice rang out. Natsu didn't even stop walking, much less turn his head to the voice. That action made Gray even more frusturated

"Fight me!" Gray yelled. Again, Natsu ignored Gray completely. Gray clenched his fists.

"Yaaah!" he yelled, as he pressed his hands together," Ice Make: Hammer!" A huge hammer made of ice then appeared in the air, as he swung it down on the Dragon Slayer. But it did no good.

Without even doing so much as turning around, all Natsu did was hold up his fist, and the moment the ice touched it, it shattered completely. Gray's eyes widened.

"Oh my god," Lucy murmured, as she covered her mouth in shock. Natsu then looked at Gray, and it was then that Lucy realized what Lisanna was talking about. The look in Natsu's eyes resembled the eyes of some kind of a demon, with a look that did truly look almost evil. But that wasn't truly shook Lucy to the core.

For a split second, a huge form seemed to loom over Natsu. The form of a dragon, with black scales, and blue markings. The dragon spread its wings, and bared an enormous set of teeth and claws. It then faded away, but the feeling remained.

Gray fell to the ground, looking paralyzed. The whole guild just seemed to be in a state of shock, except the Master, who just watched Natsu silently, and carefully. Natsu then walked to the Quest Board, and grabbed one of the quest papers, before walking back out the door.

It took a few moments, before people began to remember to breathe again.

"Natsu seems to be getting scarier by the day," one person said.

"Gray, are you alright?" Laki asked as she walked up to him.

"Yeah," Gray said, as he slowly stood up, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I should have challenged him when I got the chance!" Erza said, clenching her fists.

"You still want to fight a guy like that?" Lucy said, shocked that Erza that was still so steadfast on this.

"Natsu needs someone like to take him down!" the red headed woman declared," Its the only way he'll ever respect us!"

"Somehow, I don't think Natsu will see it that way," Lucy said softly.

"I don't care!" Erza declared," I'll beat him if its the last thing I do!"

"Hopefully that won't be the case," Makarov muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

**Note: Sorry about the long wait for the chapter before this one. Maybe that's why I didn't take as long with this chapter. That said, I will listen to any and all ideas, especially for how to introduce the other Dragon Slayers, like Gajeel and Wendy. I also wound't mind a way to incorporate Levy, Cana, and all the rest. But I am still in need of ways to progress the story itself Except for the Lucy as a Dragon Slayer idea, that's a no go. Might do another story justice, but not this one.**

**I feel like bringing up the topic of romance. I don't know what pairings there will be, if there are any (granted I hope there are). That said, romance may or may not be my strong suit (personally, I don't think it is). I don't know, I guess someone would have to answer that for me. Many people of brought up how Mirajane is acting like she did when she was a kid. And yeah, that's the basic idea, since Lisanna never "died" in this universe**


	8. Show of Strength

_**A Show of Strength**_

Lucy looked closely at the quest board, looking for something that could suit her. Nothing seemed to jump out for the time being, but she knew that she needed to do something at some point, if she could really consider herself to be part of the guild.

"Looking for a job?" Erza asked as she walked up next to Lucy.

"Yeah, but I can't really think of anything," Lucy answered.

"How about this?" Erza asked, as she pointed to one paper. Lucy followed her finger, and saw one job offer about transporting a valuable jewel to a museum.

"That sounds good," Lucy said, as she pulled it off the board," I guess I'll take that one."

"Gray and I will come with you if you want," Erza offered," Kind of help you get your first quest off the ground."

"That would be good, but I don't want to impose," Lucy said.

"Its no problem at all," Erza said with a smile," And I'm sure Gray wouldn't mind either."

"Alright then, thanks a bunch," Lucy said, with her own smile.

"Let's leave now!" Erza declared firmly. Lucy blinked.

"Actually…," she began, but Erza did not let her finish.

"Gray!" she yelled," Get your clothes on, we're going on a quest!"

Deciding that trying to stop the red head would be in vain, Lucy went along with what she had planned. And, in no time at all, the trio were off to gather the jewel.

They got to the house of the archeologist that was keeping it at the time. Lucy knocked on the door. A balding head peaked out, with large glasses, and a long beard.

"Are you part of Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"Yes," Lucy answered.

"Prove it!" the man demanded.

"Don't you see my mark?" Lucy asked, holding up her hand.

"How do I know that you just had that mark painted on, and you are thieves trying to take my precious gem?" the man said, still sounding unsatisfied. Erza sighed briefly, as she walked forward, and drew a sword.

"Because if we were the thieves you think we are, we would have just stormed in and taken the jewel by force," she said. The archeologist sweated slightly, before he relented, and let them in.

"This is the jewel," he said, as he held up a pyramid-shaped item, wrapped in brown paper. He then reluctantly held it out to the three Fairy Tail mages, and Gray took it. He then began to move to take the wrapping off.

"I would prefer it if you did not remove the wrapping paper," the archeologist said.

"Why's that?" the ice-mage asked.

"Wind wear," the archeologist answered. The trio sweat dropped, but didn't protest.

"This is a map to the coastal city where the jewel must be delivered," the man said as he held out a large map, which Erza took," Be warned, there are highway men on this road, and there are no trains that go in that area. If there were, I would have taken the jewel there myself."

"We will guard this gem with our lives, you have our word," Erza said with a firm nod.

With that, the three Fairy Tail goers struck out for the city. The path they walked along seemed to very well traveled, since it was so worn out from all the walking, it looked virtually flat.

"Keep your guard up," Gray said," We never know when a group of bandits might attack."

"Sure," Lucy said," But I have been meaning to ask something."

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"I guess I know everything I can about Fairy Tail for now, especially Natsu," Lucy said," But I'm wondering more about some of the other guilds? Does Fairy Tail have any rivals?"

"Yes, it does actually," Erza answered," There is Phantom Lord for starters. They have been long time rivals of Fairy Tail. Something to do with the way the two guilds are run."

"We've gone at it a couple of times," Gray continued," They have a pretty tough team, as well their own Dragon Slayer."

"They have a Dragon Slayer too?" Lucy asked.

"They do, I hear he's called the Iron Dragon Slayer," Erza explained," Their strongest team is called the 'Element Four'?"

"Is the Dragon Slayer as strong as Natsu?" Lucy inquired.

"I don't know, but Natsu is a hard standard to meet in terms of strength," Erza answered.

"When was the last time…," Lucy began, but Erza and Gray suddenly froze, causing the blonde to ask," What's wrong?"

"Hold this!" Gray said, as he shoved the jewel into Lucy's hands.

"Get ready," Erza said as she put her hand on her sword. Gray put his hands together, and got into a fighting stance. Lucy then noticed that his shirt was gone for a reason that she couldn't figure out.

Before Lucy could ask what the problem was, a group of masked men erupted from the trees that straddled the path the trio was taking. Each one of the men was carrying some kind of a weapon, ranging from swords, to spears, to clubs.

"Give us the gem!" one of them yelled.

"Rushing head on," Erza said as she drew her blade," Pathetic."

The bandits rushed forward at the group, but Erza jumped forward, and gave a single slash. Three of the men's weapons fell away in two pieces.

"Ice Make: Battle Axe!" Gray roared, as he formed a large axe out of ice, and swung it at the men, knocking several of them down.

"Re-quip!" Erza proclaimed as her body glowed. When the glow faded, she was wearing a deluxe set of shining armor.

"Heaven's Wheel!" the red head said, as dozens of swords flew the air, and knocked the men down.

By the time Lucy could fully wrap her head around what was happening, the "battle", if one could even call it that, was over. All of the bandits had been knocked down, and Erza and Gray didn't even have so much as a scratch.

"Is the jewel safe?" Erza asked," And more importantly are you?" Lucy's jaw had dropped so much, she thought it was broken.

"Uh…. yeah," Lucy said slowly.

"Good," Erza declared, as the armor faded back into its original form, and slammed Lucy on the back, in what was probably supposed to be a friendly pat. Instead, it was like Lucy was just hit in the back with a cinderblock.

"Let's keep going," Gray said, as he and Erza continued walking. The two soon noticed that Lucy wasn't following them.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked. Lucy just stared in shock.

"You telling me that you two could never beat Natsu?" she stuttered.

"Unfortunately," Erza confirmed.

"Yikes."

**Note: Sorry this chapter is so short. I would have wanted it to be longer, but I thought it would be better if I divided the chapter into two. So I decided to devote this chapter to Erza and Gray just kicking ass. Might have been rather lame, but that was the point. It was supposed to be pathetic. I just kind of wanted Lucy to see that Erza and Gray are very powerful in their own right. It also gives her an idea of just how strong Natsu might be**


	9. The Two New Keys

_**The Two New Keys**_

Lucy was still in a level of shock after seeing Erza and Gray trounce the bandits so easily. It made Lucy nervous. If those two were that strong, and they could never beat Natsu, then how strong was Natsu?

Deciding to put the thought out of her mind for the time being, she focused back on the mission. For the time, she was still carrying the jewel, and she looked at it carefully.

"Are either you the slightest bit curious about just what this gem might actually look like?" Lucy asked.

"Immensely," Gray said.

"But our client was very specific about not looking into it," Erza said firmly.

"Come on!" Lucy insisted," How will he know? I mean its not like it will actually get any form of wind wear."

"We gave our word to the archeologist," Erza said, before jumping onto a rock, and pointing her sword into the sky," And it is our solemn duty as mages to hold fast to that word!" A beam of sunlight seem to focus on her.

"Does that happen a lot?" Lucy asked Gray.

"Quite often actually," Gray answered.

After they got moving again, Gray pulled out the map.

"We should be getting close," he said," The city should just be over that hill." He pointed to a large hill that was in front of them.

"No point in stopping now," Erza said," We will spend the night in the city, and then head back in the morning. Pick up the pace!"

With that, the trio continued walking. Lucy kept her attention primarily on the jewel. She had been holding it for about an hour now, which normally meant it would have absorbed her body heat and felt warmer. However, instead, it was still cold, even through the wrapping paper that covered it. In fact, if Lucy had to choose something to compare it to, she would have to say it felt like she was holding an ice pack. It also gave off a feeling that reminded her of…

"Oi! Lucy!" Erza called, breaking the Heartfilia girl from her thoughts," Let's go!" It was then that Lucy noticed that during the time that she was thinking, she had fallen behind. She clutched the jewel close to her, and hurried after Erza and Gray.

Eventually, the three got to the top of the hill, which overlooked the city. It was that large, but it was still larger than Magnolia, and like said city, it was on the sea.

"It looks like a seaside place," Lucy noted.

"Well, no sense in just standing up here forever," Erza said," Let's get down there." She then apparently re-quipped her armor again, to a very lightweight looking form that looked like something one would see in a stealth force. She also had a shield that looked like a surfboard.

"Ice Make: Board!" Gray said as he waved his hands, and formed a large board out of ice. It didn't take long for Lucy to realize what the two had in mind, and before she could protest, the two had pushed off, and were already sliding down the mountain.

"Wait for me!" Lucy said as she ran down the hill after them.

Once they got into town, and Lucy had managed to catch up with Erza and Gray, they walked throughout the city.

"According to the map, the museum is on the other side of the town, by the waterfront," Gray said as he studied the map. Lucy sighed.

"Well, at least its not that big of a city," she said.

As they walked down the road, they overheard a conversation from the side of the road.

"Did you hear that the the sea monster sank another ship today?" one man asked.

"Yeah," his friend answered," A couple guys were eaten from what I heard."

"It doesn't seem like the mayor is doing much."

"I heard that they were supposed to be sending someone from a magic guild, but I haven't heard anything about the situation."

"No surprise there," the first guy said with a groan," They don't seem to do anything about the problem."

As the Fairy Tail trio kept on walking, Lucy couldn't help but feel bad.

"Can't we do anything to help?" she asked.

"Trust me, I want to," Gray said.

"So do I," Erza said, shaking her head," But there isn't anything we can do right now. Our first priority is getting this jewel to the museum. After we're done, maybe we'll talk to the mayor about the situation."

Lucy sighed, as she looked at the wrapped up jewel.

"Could someone carry it for a little while?" she asked," My arms are getting tired."

"I'll take it," Gray said," But you're going to have to be the navigator."

"No problem," Lucy said with a smile, as she and Gray exchanged items," I'm good with maps." She then looked at the map.

"Alright, let's go this way," she said pointing, as she got walking, as Erza and Gray followed her.

As the three of them walked on, Lucy began humming a tune to herself as she studied the map. Aside from an occasional yell from Erza for Gray to put his shirt or pants, fortunately it mostly the former, back on, nothing really of substance was happening. They had managed to get into the central market, which had to mean they were getting ever closer to the waterfront, where the museum was supposed to be.

She found her eyes looking up, as she looked around the market. Despite herself, Lucy could not help but feel a desire to look around.

"Do we have a time limit?" she asked.

"Not really," Erza answered," But the museum closes at 7:00." Lucy grinned.

"Well, its 2:30 right now," she said," We know how to get to the museum, and we can't be that far away. Let's take a break." Erza frowned.

"Do we have enough time?"

"We have more than four hours," Lucy insisted," We might find things we like here. Maybe I can find some Celestial Spirit Keys."

"I don't know," Erza said.

"Hey look!" Lucy said, pointing," Some kind of sweets alley!"

"We must rest!" Erza suddenly declared, holding up a fist," If not, we shall not be properly ready when we set out tomorrow."

"Great!" Lucy said with a big smile," Let's meet back here at around 3:30!" Gray sighed, as he held up the wrapped up item.

"What about the jewel?" he asked.

"I guess one of us will have to carry it around with us," Lucy said.

"Well who's…," as Gray was saying it, the two girls seemed to disappear into thin air.

"Me I guess," Gray said with a sigh, as he held onto the jewel, and started to walk around.

**(with Erza)**

As he wandered around, Erza had dived into the sweet alley. She wandered around, her eyes sparkling in awe at the many different forms of pastries that were littered around her.

"This is my personal haven!" she declared, pointing towards the sky, tears streaming down her face. With that said, she raced over to the nearest booth.

"Give me everything!" she ordered. To say that she caught the vendor off guard would be an understatement.

"Uhhh..," he said.

"I said… GIVE ME EVERYTHING!" Erza yelled, banging her armored fists on the table.

"Umm, that will be 5000 jewels," the vendor said nervously. Erza instantly dropped a large money sack, and grabbed all the pastry boxes. After she was gone, the vendor checked the bag.

"Hey! Miss! You still need an additional 50 jewels!" he called, but Erza was nowhere in sight.

**(with Gray)**

Meanwhile, Gray walked down the road, as he looked around. He saw a couple clothing stands.

"Excuse me sir, but would you like this shirt?" one guy asked.

"Why would a need a shirt?" Gray asked.

"You don't seem to wearing one," the vendor pointed out. Gray looked down, and let out a yelp when he found out that the shop owner was right.

**(with Lucy)**

During this, Lucy was wandering down another aisle, looking for anything she could use. As she wandered, something glittering caught her eye. She turned, and saw two golden keys.

"Golden Keys!" she cried as she ran over to the table. The vendor, an elderly woman, looked up and smiled.

"Are you a mage?" she asked. Lucy nodded firmly.

"Celestial Spirit user!" she said proudly," I've got three keys!" The blonde picked up a couple of the golden ones.

"This one is Virgo! And this one is Leo!" she said, as she saw the symbols. The vendor nodded.

"How much are these?" Lucy asked.

"35,000 jewels."

All hope Lucy had plummeted faster than Gray's pants occasionally did **(did I really just use that as a metaphor?)**. 35,000 jewels? There was no way she could afford that, even with the money she would get from this mission. She sighed as she reached into her money pouch.

"I only have 5000 jewels," she said sadly.

"Well sorry dear but…," before the lady continued, she saw the pink Fairy Tail symbol on Lucy's hand, and her eyes widened," You are from Fairy Tail?"

"Uh, yeah," Lucy answered. The lady then shoved both keys into Lucy's hands, and took the money.

"I am giving you a discount!" the vendor said," Just make sure that sea monster's meat is cooked well!" Lucy blinked. It was the second time that she heard a townsperson mention the sea monster that was off the coast of the town.

"Sure," Lucy said slowly, not wanting to disappoint the woman, and she did want the keys anyway. With that, she hurried away.

Lucy sighed as she headed back to the place the group was supposed to rendezvous. She couldn't help but feel guilty about having to take those keys. It wasn't like her to take things in such a fashion.

She then clenched her fists, with a firm gaze.

_Then I will keep my promise, and I will get that sea monster cooked!_ she thought.

Eventually, she got to the square, where Erza and Gray were waiting.

"What took you?" Gray asked as he stood up from the bench he was sitting on.

"Sorry!" Lucy said as she hurried over to the group," I had to do some bargaining." With that, she held up her two new golden keys.

"You got new keys?" Erza asked.

"Yeah!" Lucy answered with a happy nod. Erza smiled.

"Great," she said," We could use all the extra power! Now let's head to the museum."

"Alright," Lucy said as she pulled out the map," Follow me."

**(break)**

In a short time, they were at the seaside. Lucy took a breath.

"Smells good!" she said with a smile," The museum shouldn't be far."

"Good, let's hurry," Erza said as she started walking.

"Uh Erza," Lucy said, pointing," Its this way."

Not even answering, Erza turned on her heels, and walked in the direction Lucy pointed.

As Gray and Lucy began to follow her, there was suddenly a bellowing roar. The three turned in the direction of the sound, and from the water, burst an enormous beast. It had to be at least 200 feet long. It had a head like a piranha, but a body like an eel. It also had a stinger on the end of its tail.

"Its the sea monster!" one fisherman on the docks cried, as he and the others ran.

Erza's eyes narrowed as she drew her sword.

"We must face this beast!" she declared.

"Yeah!" Gray said as he pressed his hands together. Lucy nodded, as she got out her keys, but then she noticed something. She squinted, and saw a figure clambering on the beast's back. From what Lucy could gather, it was male, and was of average height.

"There is someone on there!" Lucy said, pointing. Gray and Erza followed Lucy's finger, and saw the figure as well.

"Is he crazy?!" Gray yelled. Erza looked closely, and she could vaguely make out some details. Such as the fact he was wearing some kind of trench-coat that was black. And he had pink hair… Her eyes widened.

"It's Natsu!"

**Note: Well, here is chapter 9. I'm satisfied with this. I wasn't sure how to introduce Leo and Virgo, since the situations were different. I never had any intention of making Loke a member of Fairy Tail, since I didn't think it would do much good for the story. So I just decided to do what I figured would make sense. Their personalities should be the same. **

**Don't worry, next chapter, you can see Natsu kick ass.**

**Still taking ideas**


	10. Sea of Blood

_**Sea of Blood**_

"Natsu?" Gray and Erza said in unison.

"That's what it looks like!" Lucy said with a nod.

Sure enough, Natsu was holding onto the fin of the sea monster strongly, as the beast thrashed through the water. His teeth were clenched, and his face was a look of pure concentration.

"What's he doing here?" Gray said.

"I overheard some people talking about a guild sending someone to deal with the monster," Erza said.

"You don't think…," Lucy said softly.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu continued to hold on to the monster's fin, as he weighed his options. Its not like he was worried that he couldn't take down this monster. Heck, flies were harder to swat, since at least they could move fast. But what he was thinking, was how could he take this down without destroying more fishing boats.

_Why am I worrying about that?_ he thought_ Oh yeah, it gets taken out of my pay._

The sea beast then finally managed to throw him off. In reality though, Natsu had willingly let go, so that he could look for a vantage point. Once he was directly over the monster, it opened its mouth, and out of it, came an enormous stream of water. Natsu clenched his teeth, and formed an "x" with his arms.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" he said, as his magic seal appeared over his arms, and blue magic gathered around them, and formed a large "x" around him. The water flowed around it easily.

Before Natsu could fall down, though, his magic seal appeared around his feet.

"Chaos Dragon's Flight" he said, as he jumped further into the air, his feet powered by his magic.

**(with Lucy, Gray, and Erza)**

"Is Natsu flying?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, that's his Chaos Dragon Flight technique," Gray explained," By channeling magic into his feet, and releasing it in a steady stream, he can levitate, and sometimes fly."

**(with Natsu)**

The sea monster let out an angry roar, as if challenging Natsu to come back down. Seeming to understand what the monster was saying, Natsu just sneered.

"I don't accept challenges from weaklings," he said, folding his arms. This seemed to make the monster even madder than it already was. It spat another stream of water at Natsu, but Natsu managed to fly out of the way. He then opened his mouth.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" He then released the chaos energy, as it beamed down towards the monster. The monster dove underwater to try and escape.

"That won't help you," Natsu said darkly. He was right, as the beam crashed into the water and a full force explosion of energy exploded. The water exploded sky high, with the shockwave blasting the monster into the air. Natsu then shot towards it.

"Chaos Dragon's Spear!" he said, as he slammed his body into the sea monster. The beast let out a cry of pain as it flew back into the water. Natsu smiled darkly.

The monster slowly leaned back up, but it looked dazed. It let out an angry growl. It had a large bruise on its side, and blood leaked from its mouth.

Natsu then released the energy coming from his feet. As he began to fall back down, Natsu gathered the energy back into his fist.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he yelled, as he punched down. The sea monster, however, managed to dodge, and Natsu plunged into the water.

**(with Lucy, Gray, and Erza)**

"He missed!" Lucy said," I thought Natsu never misses!"

"He doesn't," Erza said softly," He just did that to get back in the water."

**(with Natsu)**

As he floated down the water, Natsu looked up at the sea monster, as it dove back under the water to confront Natsu directly. The water around it was turning red with the blood that was coming out of it. Natsu was starting to lose his patience with this. This monster was surprisingly enduring. No matter. He gathered the magical energy back in his feet, and launched towards the beast.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he said, as he punched the monster in the chin. In the process, several of the monster's teeth broke, and it was thrust up. It broke the surface, as it let out a pained roar. Natsu then erupted out of the water, using his Chaos Dragon's Flight ability, and soared over the monster.

The beast looked up at Natsu, he held up one arm.

"This battle, if you can even call it that, ends now!" he declared, as he gathered magical energy in his arm. He then pushed himself off towards the beast.

"Chaos Dragon's Guillotine!" he roared, as he then slammed his elbow into the monster's neck. There was a sickening crack, and the monster did not so much roar in pain, as much as it let out a weak croak of pain, as a cloud of blood sprouted from its mouth. Its eyes widened, before they suddenly lost all their light. It then fell back down into the water.

There was a silence throughout the boardwalk, as everyone just stared at the monster's dead body.

"He… killed it," Lucy stuttered slowly.

As if on cue, Natsu climbed onto the monster's head, and pumped his fist into the air in triumph.

The entire harbor then erupted into cheers.

"We're free!"

"The monster is finally dead!"

The Fairy Tail trio just stared in awe at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. Said mage bent down to the monster's head, and pulled off one of its scales.

"I can't believe I'm even bothering to take a trophy from an opponent like this," Natsu sneered as he put the scale in his pack, before jumping to shore. People quickly surrounded him to give their thanks, but Natsu pushed past them, uninterested in anything.

As he walked by, he noticed the others. His eyes narrowed.

"He sees us," Erza said, narrowing her eyes. Natsu then jumped up, and next thing anyone knew, he was standing right in front of Lucy. The blonde just froze up, as Natsu's aura seemed to smother her.

"What are you three doing here?" he questioned.

"We have a quest to deliver this jewel," Gray said, as he held up the wrapped item. Before anyone could stop him, Natsu grabbed the wrapping paper, and tore it off. And before anyone could ask what he was doing, they all got a good look at the jewel.

It was shaped like a pyramid, with very smooth sides, and a point. It was pitch black, but it had a dark blue center, which almost looked like a little light inside of it. Once again, Lucy felt a shiver go down her spine. But it wasn't just her this time. Gray clenched his teeth slightly, as goosebumps went up his arm, which was strange since he rarely got cold in such a fashion. Erza seemed to flinch for a moment, but she kept it concealed for the most part.

The only one who appeared to be completely composed was Natsu, who just looked at the gem with a bored expression.

"I do not see why you three are being so shaken by a rock, especially that one in particular," he said with a frown," Now I must collect my pay." With that, he began to walk away.

"Wait!" Lucy said," Do you know about this rock?"

"Don't bother," Erza said," Natsu never…."

"Its called the Eye of the Black Dragon," Natsu said, as he stopped, and briefly turned," Named for the fact that the blue spot inside of it looks like an eye." He then continued walking.

"Well, where…" Lucy started to ask.

"I told you when we first met, that I am not a map," Natsu said darkly, as he kept walking.

"Don't bother," Gray said," Let's keep walking."

"Fine," Lucy said with a sigh as she looked at the map," The map says the museum is only a few blocks from here." The trio then got walking again, as the townspeople took the water so that they could carve up the monster's meat before the seagulls got to it.

In a short time, the group arrived at the museum.

"Doesn't look like much," Gray said, rubbing the back of his head with an unsatisfied look.

"Look, we got here, so we must complete our mission, and deliver the jewel," Erza said, as she started to walk in.

Once the three of them were inside, and managed to find the director's office, they presented him with the jewel.

"Thank you so much for delivering the Eye of the Black Dragon," the director said," It is very valuable, and with the sea monster finally gone, we might get more people coming to the museum."

"Do you know what makes it so valuable?" Lucy asked, genuinely curious.

"It is about a legend behind it," the director answered.

"Legend?" Erza echoed, arching an eyebrow.

"There is an old story, about how this jewel was once used by the legendary dark mage, Zeref, to control the Black Dragon."

A gasp came from all three members in perfect synch, as they all exchanged looks. Could this gem really have been used to control the dragon that raised Natsu.

"Of course its just a legend," the director said," Well, let me pay you."

After they received their pay, the group of three found the inn, and managed to settle in for the night.

"Do you think that story of the Eye of the Black Dragon is true?" Lucy asked Erza, as the two took a bath.

"Of course not," Erza said shaking her head with a firm expression," Its just an old folktale, and I never believe in those. Odds are it was just a jewel Zeref or some dark mage carried around, and caused destruction, nothing else really."

"Well, I guess," Lucy said with a shrug, before bringing up the next subject," So is Natsu really that strong?" Erza sighed as she looked up at the ceiling.

"That was only a taste of his strength," she said," If Natsu had been fighting another mage, I don't think the result would have been as clean."

**Note: Alright, so this is chapter 10. And it seems like there may be more to the jewel than is really being let on by Natsu. This jewel may not be the titular "Eye of the Black Dragon", but you will have to wait to find out. Seems like Natsu might not hate humanity as much as he might think.**

**I was a little worried how I was going to write the battle scene, because this would be the first time we see Natsu fight seriously. The first time he fights was with Erza and Gray, but that was more of a kid fight than anything else. There was also the time Natsu met with Bora, but that wasn't a fight either. So I wanted to give Natsu a fight scene that could at least given an impression of what happens when he fights to actually win. Don't worry, you'll definitely see more of what he is capable. This was sort of supposed to serve as the equivalent of the **_**Lullaby Arc**_**, so I hope to start up a new arc soon. I am still thinking about how I am going to get in Phantom Lord into this situation, since I still want Juvia and Gajeel to join the guild**


	11. Everyone

_**Everyone**_

When Lucy, Erza, and Gray finally got back to Fairy Tail, Lucy felt like she was completely out of energy. She collapsed into bench at a table, as she let out a long sigh.

"You look tired," a voice said. Lucy looked up, and saw a blue haired girl sitting across from her.

"Is your magical ability stating the obvious?" Lucy groaned, her voice rather muffled due to the fact her face was on the counter. The girl chuckled.

"Did you get enough money?" she asked. Lucy looked up.

"Fortunately, since I just moved in, my landlady is going easy on me, so I managed to pay this month's rent," she explained.

"I heard you and the other's ran into Natsu," the girl said," My name is Levy by the way." Lucy sat up.

"Levy?"

"Yep!" Levy said," Levy McGarden!" Lucy smiled.

"I'm Lucy," she said," I haven't seen you here before, which is probably a little odd." Levy grinned.

"I've been on missions quite a bit lately, with my team, Shadow Gear," Levy explained, as she gestured to the two men standing behind her. Both were fairly tall, with one having orange hair, and a hat, and other having black hair in some strange style on top.

"Name's Jet!" the orange-haired guy said with a thumbs up.

"And I'm Droy!" the black-haired guy answered.

"Nice to meet you," Lucy said with a smile.

"Is it true Natsu led you here?" Droy asked, as he leaned down. Lucy blinked, before nodding.

"Yeah," she answered after the pause.

"So its true, Natsu did come back!" Droy whispered to Jet.

"That sounds scary," Jet said.

"I've only seen Natsu personally a couple of times," Levy admitted," And even then, he's just sort of walked by, and never talked." Lucy weakly smiled.

"That would summarize Natsu pretty well," she said," Granted he can be pretty scary at times."

"That's because he always is," another voice said. When Lucy turned to see who it was, it was a girl dressed in a scantly appearing outfit, and long brown hair.

"How much have you drunk today, Cana?" Levy asked, with a sigh.

"About two barrels worth," Cana answered," And you know I'm right. Natsu freaks everybody out."

"Aye!" Happy said as he fluttered over, and landed on Lucy's head," He even freaks me out!"

"I can guess why," Lucy said," He wipes the seafloor with that sea monster in the village."

"Was that the quest Natsu took?" Happy asked.

"I think so."

Happy sighed as his whiskers, ears, and tail hung down.

"I wish he would take me on his missions, they sound so cool!"

"Trust me…," Lucy began, but she was interrupted by yelling. After she checked on the situation, she began to wonder why she had to bother.

As things would have, Erza and Mirajane were going at it again. The topic of the "argument" this time was about whose mission was harder. Lucy assumed that Mira's was harder, but Erza was trying to force the sea monster into the situation.

Lucy then let out a rather sad sounding sigh.

"What's wrong?" Happy asked.

"Looking at this makes me think how I know so few people here," Lucy answered, as she rolled her eyes up at the blue cat.

"Well, we'll fix that!" Levy said with a grin, before pointing. Lucy followed her finger. She saw two people, a young man, and a young woman. The man had black hair that was combed over one eye, and the woman had long green hair.

"That's Alzack and Bisca," Levy explained," They use Gun Magic. Now, they act like they aren't a couple, but don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She then pointed to a guy with short, sandy hair.

"That's Max, who uses Sand Magic," she said, as she continued pointing and showing Lucy other members.

Eventually, Lucy's head began to hurt for all the people.

"Thanks," she said," I think that's all I need for now. I can barely keep up with Erza and Mirajane fighting." Said female mages had stopped arguing over missions, and were now "debating", on who had cooler powers.

From the bar, Lisanna chuckled. Makarov was sitting on the bar next to her.

"Those two will never end it will they?" she said, still smiling. Makarov shrugged, but suddenly, he began to feel rather drowsy.

"You okay, Master?" Lisanna asked.

"I just feel…. kind of sleepy," Makarov said with a yawn.

"Why…," Lisanna began, before she fell to the ground, asleep.

Soon, everyone in the guild hall, even Mira and Erza, had fallen to the ground. Makarov, however, managed to retain consciousness. As he did, a tall man completely covered in a blue shroud, and carried some kind of staff.

"Mystogan," Makarov breathed, narrowing the eye that he managed to keep open," It seems that you have returned." The shrouded man said nothing, as he grabbed a paper off the guild board.

"Give the other's my regards," Mystogan said, before he walked out, before Makarov could ask him about the others and the fact they were still under some sort of spell. Makarov sighed, as he began to pull his head back together, and the others slowly started to wake and stand up.

"What was that?" Lucy said.

"I think that was Mystogan," Levy answered.

"Mystogan?"

"Yeah," Cana answered," He always puts sleep magic and the guild when he comes, so no one knows what he looks like. The only ones strong enough to resist it are the Master, Laxus, Gildarts, and Natsu."

Lucy shuddered at the thought, and subconsciously touched her key pouch. Such a guy made her feel rather nervous.

**Note: Odds are not that many people will appreciate this chapter, and I will admit, this one was rather weak. I'm sorry, but I didn't want to keep people waiting for something, so I decided to write this. It was mostly serve to introduce Lucy to other members of the guild, especially Levy and Cana, and also to bring Mystogan into the story, and Happy back into the story. And also, it was kind of a buffer between arcs, I've seen the anime sometimes do episodes like this. **

**I'm also still going through my options on the Phantom Lord arc, among other ones. Hopefully I'll be able to pick things back up next chapter. Sorry this was so short**


	12. The Phantom Strikes

_**The Phantom Strikes**_

Lucy yawned as she walked to the guild center. It had been a passive couple of days. Natsu had shown up a couple of times, but nothing really happened when he did. Most of the time, he either just grabbed a mission after the quest board, or just sat in the background, doing nothing.

"I suppose I should be thankful nothing has… happened," Lucy said as her words slowed down, and she looked up at the guild hall. Her mouth didn't even close.

The Fairy Tail guild hall was in ruins. Enormous metal spires sprouted out of its bulk, the windows were broken, and the guild symbol had been slashed with an "x".

"What…," was all Lucy could muscle out.

"Lucy!" Happy's voice cried out. Said blonde turned, and saw the blue cat flying towards her. Lucy managed to catch him.

"You're finally here!" Happy cried.

"Where are the others?" Lucy asked.

"They're down in the basement," Happy answered as he floated away from her," Follow me!"

Lucy did just that, and Happy lead her down into the basement. When the pair got down there, Lucy immediately felt worse.

The entire guild that was still present had been packed down into the less than big basement. And there seemed to be a gloomy aura that floated over the entire group. Reedus wasn't painting so much as he was just dragging his brush along his canvas. Macao and Wakaba just sat there, in a large gloom. Bisa and Alzack were both silent, but their guns were on the table, as if in surrender. Even Erza and Mirajane weren't fighting at the time. It was apparent that this room was for storage, with crates being shoved into the side. The sight made Lucy feel sad.

"Lucy! You're here!" Erza said as she stood up," I was worried that Phantom Lord had caught you!"

"Phantom Lord?" Lucy asked as she walked down to where Erza was," They did this?"

"Yeah," Gray said. Lucy gasped.

"I knew Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord often went at it… but to go this far?" Lucy said slowly. She looked around, and saw everyone just sulking around. It looked as though the entire spirit of the guild had been shattered into nothing.

"I can't believe those Phantom creeps did this," Jet groaned. Droy nodded in agreement.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Levy asked.

"We should go get back at them!" Elfman said, pumping his fist," Like real men!"

"Elfman is right!" Mirajane said, also pumping her fist," We have to take retribution."

"Ho! Ho! I'll tell you what to do!" Makarov said. The tiny guild master was holding a large mug of alcohol, as he chugged it down. It was apparent that he was somewhat drunk. Lisanna was cleaning out the mugs he had already downed, with a sad look.

"We're going to just ignore them!" he said with a large smile, and a very laid back sounding voice," We can't throw Phantom Lord a bone whenever they ask!" It was rather obvious that much of that he was saying was mostly the alcohol talking.

"Master, I think you've had enough," Lisanna weakly said.

"I'll be able to tell (hic) when I've had enough!" Makarov grumbled. As he said that, he grabbed another mug of ale from the other side of the table, by stretching his arm.

Those Phantom Lord members are just too cowardly to even tackle us face to face," he said after he downed the glass in a single gulp ," We'll just let them throw their tantrum as they wish!"

"But we've got to do something!" Erza insisted.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Erza is right!" Mirajane said," If we let this slide, it'll seem like actions like these can go unpunished!"

"I'm confident my Magic Council friends can fix the situation as necessary," Makarov said, with a grin, before hopping down and excitedly proclaimed," Now I've got to take a leak!"

"What is he expecting us to throw a parade?" Lucy said, rubbing her forehead.

"Well for now, the best thing we can do for now is sit and wait," Erza said," We can't do anything if the master doesn't give us his approval." She then jumped onto the bar.

"Attention!" she said to the whole guild, who looked at her," Everyone be on your guard! Chances are good that there are Phantom Lord members lurking in the town!"

**(later that day)(with Lucy)**

Lucy sighed as she wandered her way back to her apartment, rubbing her forehead.

"I've never seen the guild that dreary," she said. The blonde then looked up at the setting sun. She remembered how she contemplated joining Phantom Lord, but she was now glad that she didn't.

**(with Levy)**

"You know you guys don't have to follow me home," Levy said with a weak smile. Drifting around her, scouring the area, was Droy and Jet.

"If Phantom Lord is truly here, we must protect you!" Jet declared.

"We are your friends, so we will never leave!" Droy echoed.

"Well thanks guys," Levy said," That means a lot!"

"How cliched," a voice said. Before the Shadow Gear trio could pause to wonder who that was, there was a flash of black hair, and red eyes.

**(next day)(with Lucy)**

"Well, hopefully today will be better," Lucy said as she sat up, and stretched.

As she left her house, she calmly hummed to herself, feeling optimistic. As she walked past the park, she saw a group of people gathered around the tree. She blinked, curious. But when Lucy walked over to see what the situation was, she regretted it quickly.

Strung up on the tree, and badly beaten, was Team Shadow Gear. Levy was in the center, with the symbol of Phantom Lord imaged on her abdomen. Lucy just fell to her knees, in shock.

**(later)**

Eventually, the whole guild was assembled. However, the tone was no longer dreary. The only tone present, was one of pure, and honest rage.

"They've crossed the line now!" Macao said, clenching a fist.

"Its like they are just asking us to get at them!" Laki said, also angry.

"We have to take retribution now!" Erza said.

"Erza's right!" Gray said, raising his fist," We have to take them down."

"But what about the Master?" Lisanna asked.

"I'm right here," Makarov said as he walked through the crowd.

"Master," Mirajane said.

"Guild halls can be rebuilt, and pride can be nursed," Makarov said," And I can just laugh stuff like that off." He then stopped in front of the tree.

"But there is a limit in things that can be done," he said, as his eyes began glowing, before he snapped his staff in two. He then turned to his assembled guild, and grew up to the size of the tree.

"FAIRY TAIL!" he roared," LET IT BE HEARD! WE ARE GOING TO WAR AGAINST PHANTOM LORD!"

The entire guild cheered loudly.

**Note: I was originally planning to put in the battle in this chapter as well, but I decided an event like that deserves its own individual segment. That said, I hope I managed to fit this in well. I know this is close to cannon, but I went through the options given to me, and I figured this make the most sense. I thought about the possibility of Natsu going after Gajeel, but I figured that wouldn't make sense for Natsu's character, since my view of his current personality, is one who doesn't like actively looking for fights.**

**Next chapter, Fairy Tail will go to war**


	13. The Iron Dragon Slayer

_**The Iron Dragon Slayer**_

Lucy let out a sigh, as she looked at Levy's unconscious body. They managed to get her, and her teammates into a hospital that specialized in mages, but the image remained.

The rest of the guild had decided to go lay siege to Phantom Lord, but Lucy opted not to go, for two reasons. First of all, someone had to stay and take care of Shadow Gear. Also, Lucy didn't think she was strong enough to actually go to war with another guild. So when Makarov brought up the topic that someone needed to stay, Lucy had volunteered.

Lisanna also chose not to go, reasoning that fighting wasn't her strong suite. She also said that she needed to stay with the guild hall, in case something else happened, she would be able to report it.

Happy had stayed with Lucy, and was now sleeping on Lucy's lap. He had apparently fallen asleep with a fish in his mouth. She looked out the window as she stroked Happy's back.

"Good luck, everyone," she said softly.

**(at the Phantom Lord guild)**

All the mages of the Phantom Lord guild were celebrating their apparent victory over their longtime rival, Fairy Tail. Many of them were drinking, and partying around.

"I say we went to easy on them!" one guy said.

"No kidding, Gajeel must have decided to be merciful!" another said.

"Heh, didn't that was possible," a third said.

At a further corner of the guild, two people were sitting at a table.

"I only wish I could have been there," one guy in a red outfit, and black and white hair said.

"No! No! No!" one of his comrades said, as he swung left and right," If we had got in Mousier Gajeel's way, he would be quite angry." He had a green outfit, and brown hair. They were two of the Element Four of Phantom Lord: Totomaru, and Sol.

As they were talking, another trio was walking towards the door.

"Who says Gajeel gets to have all the fun?" one said," I say we give those Fairies a good beating!"

"No kidding, I want some of the action too!" his friend said with a raised fist.

But before any of them reached the door, it exploded open. All the present Phantom Lord members turned towards the entrance, an saw a large crowd of people.

"What the Hell?" one guy said as everyone stood up.

When the dust cleared, the awe truly hit the guild.

"FAIRY TAIL IS HERE!" Makarov roared. And it was true. Almost the entire guild that wasn't occupied with missions at the time was at the guild. And there one single agreed expression on their face: rage.

"Fairy Tail?"

"What are they doing here?"

"You assaulted our family," Erza growled, as she tightened her grip on her blade.

"Take our revenge!" Mirajane roared, as she entered her Satan Soul mode, and charged forward. With one swipe of her claws, she took down four members.

She was soon followed by Erza, who took her Heaven's Wheel armor, and struck down several with ten swords.

The two present members of the Element Four stood up.

"Looks like we have something to do," Totomaru said as he drew his sword.

"Wi! Wi! Wi!" Sol said as he flailed, before descending into the ground.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on between the Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail members.

"Card Magic!" Cana said as she held up her cards, and threw them. Beams of light struck down her opponents.

Alzack was using a quickdraw style with his gun magic, as he knocked down several different mages.

"This is exciting!" he said with a grin," Too bad Natsu isn't here, this is right up his alley!" One guy ran up behind Alzack, only to be shot down by Bisca.

"Then again," she said," If he was here, he wouldn't leave anyone for us."

Several Phantom Lord mages charged Makarov. However, the moment they did, Makarov seemed to grow so big, he went up to the hall's ceiling.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE ON YOU!" he roared," WHEN YOU ATTACK MY CHILDREN, I WILL TURN THIS GUILD INTO RUBBLE!"

Macao and Wakaba were using their combined Purple Flare, and Smoke magic to take down their opponents.

"Wood Make: Running Down the Chasm!" Laki said, as she slammed her hand into the ground, and wood erupted around the area.

"What is that even supposed to mean?!" one Phantom Lord member moaned as he flew through the air.

During this, Elfman punched his way through the hall.

"If you are men, you will fight like it!" he said, as his arm turned into that of some kind of reptile, before he grabbed one guy, and threw him into the ceiling. He then roared," MAN!"

The battle continued on, as Macao approached Totomaru.

"Hey, buddy!" he said," Ready to lose? Purple Flare: Purple Net!" Purple fire came from his hands, and went for the red-clad warrior. However, Totomaru just looked at the fire, and the fire changed trajectory, and slammed back into Macao.

"Macao!" Wakaba said.

"I would focus more on yourself!" Totomaru said, as he slash his sword, and yellow fire knocked Wakaba away.

"No! No! No!" Sol said as he emerged from the ground behind Bisca. Before the green haired girl could respond, Sol launched a stream of earth at her, knocking her away.

"Bisca!" Alzack said.

"Je suis désolé," Sol said as he fingered his moustache," But I must fulfill my duty." Erza saw him rise from the ground, and her eyes narrowed. She then entered her Flame Empress armor, and slashed her away through to Sol. However, before she could reach him, Sol sunk into the ground.

"No! No! No! That will not do!" Sol insisted, as he came out of the grounded, and adjusted his monocle. Erza turned to face him, as she went back to her normal armor.

"You are part of the Element Four," she said, as she pointed the sword at him," I will be your opponent!" Sol just grinned darkly, before he sent a wall of earth at Erza, who entered her Black Wing Amor, and flew over it. She then slashed down at Sol, who escaped by going back into the ground.

Meanwhile, Totomaru continued knocking people away, but he quickly had to dodge a hail of ice shards. Gray was standing there, with his shirt off.

"The Ice Mage, I take it?" Totomaru questioned.

"How did you guess?" Gray said, as he held his fists together.

As she did that, Makarov reduced to his normal size, and walked up the stairs. He saw Mirajane still fighting.

"I am leaving these all to you," he said, as he swatted away one enemy," I have to 'talk' with Jose." Mirajane grinned.

"You do not even need to ask

Meanwhile, on one the beams, a tall young man looked down on the situation. He had spiky black hair, and red eyes. He grinned darkly.

"So, Titania Erza, and Demon Mira," he said," This will be fun!"

With that, Gajeel Redfox jumped from the beam, and landed in the middle of the fray, catching everyone off guard.

"Wi! Wi! Wi!" Sol said, as Erza narrowed her eyes.

Totomaru grinned, as he fell more Fairy Tail goers, and said," This is over."

Gajeel stood up, and grinned.

"I've got one question!" he said," Where is the Chaos Dragon!" Elfman, suddenly rushed up at him. With a roar, his arm turned into some kind of black beast's. He then slammed it down, but Gajeel managed to block. The Iron Dragon Slayer then held up his fist, and it turned into iron, and slammed into Elfman, extending out.

"Nice try," Elfman said, as he revealed had caught the iron spire," But real men are strong!" Gajeel sneered.

"Not bad," he said," But not good enough!" With that, he swung his arm, sending Elfman flying away.

"Animal Possession: Bear!" Nab said, as he held both hands, and energy resembling bear claws appeared around them. He then charged at the spiky-haired man Gajeel easily dodged, the attack, and turned his leg into an air pole, and knocked Nab away.

"No one has answered my question!" Gajeel said with a laugh," Where is the Chaos Dragon?! Where is Natsu Dragonia?!"

**(with Lucy)**

Lucy fiddled through her purse, as she walked down the road.

"What are you looking for?" Happy asked, as he floated beside her.

"My wallet," Lucy answered," I need to buy something to eat tonight."

"Will you buy fish?" Happy asked hopefully.

Before Lucy could crush the blue cat's hopes, it began to rain.

"Where did this come from?" she asked.

"Drip drip drop," a feminine voice said. Lucy and Happy turned, and saw a blue haired woman, with a large hat, and a coat on, walking in their direction.

"Drip drip drop," she repeated," I am Juvia Lockser, the Rain Woman."

"The Rain Woman?" Happy asked," That's kind of weird." Juvia opened an umbrella, and just walked past the two.

"Have a nice day," she said," It was nice meeting you."

"I wouldn't exactly call that 'meeting' you," Lucy said as she sweat-dropped. The self-proclaimed Rain Woman then suddenly turned.

"Oh, I forgot about my assignment," she said softly, as Juvia then reached for Lucy. A torrent of water then erupted from her hand, and cocooned Lucy. Lucy gasped from inside the water, which caught her off guard, since she shouldn't be able to breath.

"Lucy!" Happy said," Let her go!"

"I am afraid I cannot," Juvia said, as she walked forward," No stand aside."

"Never!" Happy said as he pulled out a fish, and charged at Juvia. The water user just held up her hand, and a blast of water sent Happy flying.

"Happy!" Lucy said, her voice somewhat garbled from the water. She turned, and saw Juvia still approaching her. _Wait!_ Lucy said, as a lightbulb went off in her head. With that, she pulled out one of her golden keys.

"Open, Gate of the Twin Fish!" she said. Juvia's eyes widened, recognizing such a form of magic.

"Pisces!" Lucy yelled, as two large fish, that resembled eels erupted from the water, breaking Lucy's prison. One was black, the other was white. Before Juvia could react, the two slammed into Juvia. However, they went right through her water body.

The two of them then vanished away into starlight again.

"Nice try, but…," Juvia said, as she turned, and saw her target had managed to escape," That is not good."

**(at the Phantom Lord guild)**

The battle was still raging, as Erza continued to fight against Sol. However, for every slash she gave, Sol had managed to dodge it, by going into the ground. It seemed like he was just playing with her.

As she was doing that, Gray was facing another Element Four member, Totomaru. The fire magic user was attempting to melt Gray's ice away, but it was doing little good agains the ice mage.

Meanwhile, Mirajane had opted challenged Gajeel. The Satan Soul user was now going against the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"So, the Chaos Dragon isn't here?" Gajeel said with a smirk. Mirajane didn't answer, as she charged a dark orb, and thrust it at Gajeel. He managed to dodge, and he took a breath.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" he said, as he spewed out a cloud of iron shards. The blast hit Mirajane full on, cutting up her body, and thrusting her back. She skidded to a halt on the ground. She cringed, and Gajeel smirked again.

"Is that all you got?" he asked.

**(with Makarov)**

Makarov burst into the guild master office.

"Jose!" he roared. The purple-clad man looked up from his desk, and smiled.

"Makarov, what do I owe the pleasure?" he said in voice that belied any form of possible kindness.

"You attacked my children!" Makarov said as he glowed," You must be punished!" With that, he got ready to attack.

But Jose only smiled. He then snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, a huge man dropped in front of Makarov. The small man gasped.

"This is so sad!" the large man said, as tears came from a blindfold.

**(in the hall)**

The ceiling suddenly exploded, as everyone looked up.

"Must have been Aria," Totomaru noted.

A small form then fell from the dust, and landed on the floor. It was Makarov.

"MASTER!" Erza and Mirajane cried in unison.

"Well, there goes your master," Gajeel sneered.

"No! No! No!" Sol said," This will not do at all!"

Erza clenched her fist, before taking her Giant Armor, and forcing her way past Sol.

"RETREAT!" she cried," We've got to help the master!"

"But…," Gray began, but Erza just ran out of the guild. Gray cringed before following her. Soon, everyone had retreated.

Phantom Lord let out a triumphant cheer, as Jose floated down, and smiled cruelly.

**Note: Well, I hope this was good. I wanted to include two members of the Element Four in the initial battle, so only Juvia went after Lucy. I also decided to give Lucy a different set of Celestial Spirits. The extent of which will be found out in due time. I am taking ideas for what can happen next**


	14. The Walking Guild Hall

_**The Walking Guild Hall**_

When Lucy heard that everyone had returned to what remained of the guild hall, she headed back, with a hopeful expression. Happy was in tow.

However, when the two of them got to the hall basement, they just found a group that was shrouded in a gloom that surpassed last time by far.

"What happened?" Lucy asked as she hurried over to Erza.

"The Master was ambushed," Erza said slowly," We were forced to retreat."

That made Lucy understand why everyone was so dreary. When the guild hall was destroyed, it was not like there was anyone to defend the hall. But this time, they had been right there, and fighting. And not only did they lose, but they had to retreat. They're pride had been hurt, and it wasn't showing any signs of healing.

Meanwhile, Lisanna was trying to contact Laxus.

_"What do you want?"_ Laxus said as he appeared on the Lacrima orb. He looked like he was disturbed from some kind of nap, he didn't look very happy about it.

"Laxus, you have to come help us!"" Lisanna said," The Master has been defeated!" Laxus let out a laugh.

_"The geezer is getting to old for this!" _he said_," Now if I were in charge…"_

"Now's not the time!" Lisanna interrupted," We really need your help!"

_"If you want my help, you need to give me a promotion," _Laxus said with a grin.

"I told you, now is not the time for that!" Lisanna insisted.

_"Very well," _Laxus said with an insincere shrug_," Make sure Phantom Lord plays nice." _ With that, the image vanished.

Cana let out a sigh, before cringing and swatting her cards away.

"No use," she said," No matter what I do, I can't locate Mystogan or Natsu."

"Not that it would matter," Mirajane said," I doubt Natsu would help us anyway."

"Maybe if he understood that the entire guild was at risk…," Reedus began.

"No way!" Mirajane intercepted," Natsu doesn't have any pride in this guild, so he couldn't care less what happens to it."

As some looked for other members to help them, others, like Macao and Wakaba, were focusing on finding a way to get a strategy.

During all of this, Lucy had explained what had happened to her while everyone was gone, and Erza and Gray explained what happened at Phantom Lord to Lucy. She clenched her skirt.

"So even the Master wasn't a match?" she said in a shaky voice.

"No, it was only because he was caught off guard," Gray said," He was too mad to think of anyone other than Jose."

"Looking at everything in hindsight, I think we were all like that," Erza said, as she averted her eyes," If we hadn't let ourselves get so caught up in our anger, we might have been able to prevail."

"What happened to the Master?" Lucy asked.

"Bisca and Alzack took him to Porlyusica," Erza answered," If anyone can help him it would be her."

"But to think Phantom Lord would dispatch one of its stronger mages to go after Lucy is weird," Gray said.

"I can't help but feel a little offended," Lucy said offhandedly with a sweat drop.

"Could it be that you have something they want?" Erza asked Lucy. Lucy just shook her head slowly.

"No," she answered," I know why they did it." Both mages instantly turned to Lucy.

"At first I wasn't sure," Lucy said," But when I think about it, it makes sense. If they wanted to just get at Fairy Tail, that blue-haired girl would've just beaten me up and be done with it. No, they wanted to take me back, unharmed."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gray asked. Lucy took a breath.

"They wanted to take me back to my father, Jude Heartfilia, the head of the wealthy Heartfilia family," Lucy admitted, as she looked away. Both Gray and Erza just stared in shock at the blonde haired girl.

"You mean they tried to take you for ransom?" Erza asked.

"Either that, or they would make me go back to my father," Lucy said weakly," Which I never want to do." She then began to cry.

"I never want to go back there again!" she screamed, causing everyone in the guild to stop talking look at her. Lucy curled her legs up to her chest, and hid her face.

"My father was cold," she aid," I don't want to stay with him ever again. And I just…" She looked up, her eyes filled to the brim with tears.

"I just love this guild so much," she said weakly.

Then, to her surprise, Erza sat next to her, and wrapped her arms around her.

"You don't need to worry Lucy," she said," We'll protect you. We are your family now."

"We look after our own," Gray said as he stood next to the two girls. Soon, the whole guild gathered around Lucy, as Lucy continued to cry her eyes out.

**(meanwhile)**

"You failed Juvia," Jose said from his chair.

"Apologies Master," Juvia said," It won't happen again."

"I know it won't, so I am giving you another chance," Jose said," This time though, Sol and Aria will be accompanying you."

"Wi! Wi! Wi!"

"Gajeel," Jose said.

"What?" the Iron Dragon Slayer asked, as he looked up from the forks and spoons he was munching on.

"You are too remain here, and keep on eye on the Heartfilia girl," the purple-haired man said.

"Ah come on!" Gajeel said," Why can't I go kick some Fairy ass?"

"My mind is made up," Jose said," Totomaru is to stay for the time being as well." He then stood up, and grinned maliciously.

"They will not realize what is happening till it is too late," he said.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

The guild's tender moment was suddenly disrupted when there was a large boom, and the basement shook.

"What the hell?" Elfman said.

Everyone ran up, and they didn't believe their eyes. Literally walking towards them, was Phantom Lord. And not the members. The ENTIRE guild. The guild hall was balanced on large, spider-like legs, as it lumbered through the water to Fairy Tail.

"It's a…," Gray said, but he couldn't finish.

"….moving fortress," Erza finished for him.

**"Fairy Tail!" **a familiar voie boomed.

"Jose!" Macao said.

**"Give me the Heartfilia girl, and I will spare you and your guild!"**Jose bellowed. Lucy flinched, as her tears began to well again. All this was her fault.

"Over our dead bodies!" Erza said. The whole guild let out a supporting cheer.

**"Such a notion can surely be arranged,"** Jose sneered. With that, ghostly figures began to swarm out of the Phantom Lord structure.

"Shades!" Cana said, as she pulled out her cards," Don't let them touch you!"

Erza jumped into the air, and entered her Heaven's Wheel armor. She then let loose a huge blast of swords that took down several shades at once.

"Get Lucy somewhere safe!" Erza said.

"But…," Lucy began, only for Lisanna to grab her arm and pull her back into the guild hall, with Happy trailing behind them.

"We will protect Lucy!" Erza declared, as she and the others rushed into battle.

**(with Lucy and Lisanna)**

"I should be helping, this is my fault!" Lucy insisted.

"If they capture this will be for nothing!" Lisanna insisted.

"Aye!" Happy said," Stay down here with us!"

With that, the three arrived in the basement, but they didn't find what they expected.

Standing in the middle of the area, was Juvia.

"I failed once, I shall not do it a second time," she said, as she held up her hand, and a stream of water shot out. Lisanna pushed Lucy out of the way so that she could avoid the attack, but the white-haired girl was blasted away.

"Lisanna!" Lucy cried, as she pulled out her keys," Open, Gate of the Goat: Capricorn!"

"Yes, Lady Lucy," a goat-like man said as he emerged from the light. With that, Capricorn rushed Juvia, and attempted to kick her, but the attack went right through her water body.

Lisanna got up to help, but Sol appeared in front of her from the ground.

"No! No! No!" he said," That will not do!"

"Get out of my way!" Lisanna said," Animal Soul: Cat!" With that, she gained cat-like claws and ears, and rushed Sol, but Sol twisted around, dodging the attack.

"Mademoiselle, s'il vous plaît!" Sol said as he fingered his mustache," I am a gentleman, so it is not in my nature to harm you."

"But if you think you are going to take Lucy, you have another thing coming!" Lisanna said.

"Oh you misunderstand," Sol said with a dark grin.

"We do not come here to capture her," Juvia said, as Capricorn punched through her water body again," but to stall you."

"What…," Lucy said, as suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Lucy slowly looked up, and saw Aria standing over her.

"To take you like this is so sad," Aria said with a sigh, as he grabbed Lucy.

"Lady Lucy!" Capricorn said, as he jumped to go help her, but Aria held up his hand, a force blasted Capricorn away, causing him to vanish into back into the spirit world. With that, the wind mage faded away.

"Lucy!" Lisanna cried, but she failed to notice Sol looming over, and punching her in the back. Lisanna let out a gasp, before falling to the ground, her powers failing, and passing out.

**(with the others)**

"Fight to the bitter end!" Erza said.

And it looked like the guild was doing just that. Everyone was fighting at their full power, taking down shades after shades. Mirajane was in Satan Soul mode, clawing down all sorts of ghostly apparitions. Elfman arm turned into stone, and he knocked away others. Bisca and Alzack had come back, and were now blasting away Shades. Macao's Purple Flare was blasting away other Shades. Reedus was painting large cartoon dragons to fight. Wakaba smoke was doing its job as well. Cana's card magic was blasting away at the Shades as well, as they circled around her.

"This is getting too easy!" Gray said, as his ice magic crushed three Shades at once.

"Yes, it is," Erza said, sounding suspicious," Its like they don't need to fight seriously anymore." It then hit her.

"LUCY!" she cried," They got her!"

**"I would worry about yourselves before anything else,"** Jose rumbled, as the front of the guild opened up. It then revealed a large cannon sticking out.

**"And now that I have my prey, feel the power of the Jupiter Cannon!" **The large cannon began to gather up magical energy, getting ready to fire.

"That much power could wipe out the whole area!" Cana said. Erza cringed, as she re-quipped. When the light faded, she was in her defense armor.

"Not while I'm standing!" she declared, as she got in a defensive stance.

"If you take, that you won't be!" Macao said," Not even your armor could take such power!"

"I've got to try!" Erza said, as the cannon fired.

A blinding light engulfed the area, as the magical energy beam blasted towards the Fairy Tail group.

"ERZA!" Gray and others yelled. A black shape flew over them.

Erza let out a defiant yell, determined not to yield in anyway. That was when a figure landed in front of her.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!"

**Note: Well, here is chapter 14. I hope it was satisfactory. Since Lucy was never captured, I couldn't do a scene where she was rescued. So I compensated the best I could. I think things like that are things I'm weak with though, I might be wrong. In regards to Lucy's spirits, I think its worth pointing out that in the original, Lucy didn't get all her spirits from her mother. She got Aquarius and Cancer (and Capricorn in this story as well) from Layla. So instead of Taurus, I gave her Pisces. She also has Virgo and Loke now as well.**

**I'm still taking suggestions. I hope you liked this, I enjoyed writing it**


	15. Water and Ice

_**Water and Ice**_

Nobody in Fairy Tail could believe what they were seeing. Shielding the guild from the magic energy from Phantom Lord, was Natsu, using his Chaos Dragon's Shield technique. As the beams were deflected, they instead blasted away Phantom Lord shades.

"Natsu," Erza whispered, shocked that he would rush to their aid.

The Chaos Dragon Slayer's face was that of pure focus, his teeth clenched tightly, and his muscles straining. The blue "x" was holding strong to the Jupiter Cannon blast. However, Natsu seemed to be being pushed back. It appeared that the cannon blast was a lot, even for him.

Eventually, the energy dissipated, and Natsu could release. He fell to one knee, panting.

"Natsu!" Erza said, as she hurried up to him.

"Stand aside," Natsu said as he held up an arm and slowly stood," I have no time for you and anyone else."

"Why did you come back?" Gray said," Since when did you care about the guild?"

"Simple," Natsu said, turning slightly," I don't want the guild to be destroyed." That answer caught people off guard.

"Natsu…," Elfman said slowly.

"I am not up for go searching for another source of income, and this is the only place where I can destroy with leisure," Natsu said, as he turned back to the Phantom Lord. That caused the group to deflate. Of course, why else would Natsu come back to help.

"Now step out of my way," Natsu said," I will end this personally." He clenched both of his fists, and magical energy gathered in them. It was clear that he was intending on completely destroying the guild.

"Wait!" Macao said," You can't blow up the entire structure!"

"I fail to see a reason why I can't," Natsu responded.

"Lucy is in there!" Cana said," If you destroy the guild, you'll kill her!" Natsu rolled his eyes, as he released his fists, and the energy faded away.

"Very well then," he said," Then I will remove her, and end this from within." With, that he used his Chaos Dragon's Flight technique, and soared towards the guild.

**(with Gajeel)**

Gajeel smiled darkly.

"The Chaos Dragon is coming," he said.

"Are you going to go after him?" Totomaru asked.

"No," Gajeel answered," I'm going to let him come to me. That way I can spend more time with this beauty." He gestured to a tied up and gagged Lucy in the corner.

**(with Makarov and Porlyusica)**

Porlyusica sighed as she watched Makarov start to stir. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Porlyusica," he said.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would finally wake up," the pink-haired woman said," I was close to just picking you up and shaking you around."

"What about the others?" Makarov weakly asked.

"They are currently trying to fight off a siege from Phantom Lord," Porlyusica answered. Makarov's eyes widened, before he tried to sit up.

"I've got to go help," he said, only to let out a grunt and grab his side.

"I am afraid I cannot let you go anywhere," Porlyusica said," If you go out and fight in this condition, there is no way you will prevail." Makarov grimaced.

"But I can't let my children fight like this…."

**(with the others)**

"Well, I guess the best we can do now is hope he can do it," Erza said, before turning, and yelling," Gray, come with me!"

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"We have to make sure Lisanna is alright!" Erza said as she ran back towards the guild hall.

"Right!" Gray said, as he followed her.

The two ran down towards the basement, and saw Happy floating out.

"Happy!" they said in unison.

"Erza! Gray!" the blue cat said," They got Lucy!"

"How's Lisanna?" Erza asked.

"Well, she's awake, and she's saying that you go help…"

"No! No! No!" Erza flinched at the voice, and looked around from where it was coming for.

"Its you!" she said.

"Wi!" Sol said as he emerged from the ground," I hope you pardon our ambush, but we do need to win." Erza stepped in front of Gray, and drew her sword.

"Happy, go somewhere safe! Gray, go get Lisanna!" she said," I've got a score to settle with this clown." Sol just grinned, as he leaned to the left. Gray nodded, as he ran towards the stairs.

"Désolé ," he said," But…" However, Erza launched herself at him, and slashed at him. Sol bent back to dodge the attack.

"Oh very well then," he said as he moved back," I shall defeat you first."

**(with Gray)**

"Lisanna!" Gray called as he ran down into the basement. He saw Lisanna leaning on the wall.

"Gray…," she said weakly.

"Are you…" Before Gray could finish his question, a blast of water knocked him away. When he managed to get his bearings again, he looked up and saw Juvia standing there.

"Drip. Drip. Drop," she said," I am Juvia the Rain Woman. What is your name?" Gray just grinned and clenched his fist.

"I'm Gray, the Ice Mage," he said.

**(with the others)**

Outside, where the others were defending the guild, it had started to rain.

"Where did this rain come from?" Bisca asked.

**(with Juvia and Gray)**

The water mage and the ice mage looked straight at each other, a look of determination and strength on their faces. Lisanna watched from the background, in silent awe. Suddenly, Juvia's face flashed pink.

"Very well," she said, before turning around, and walking away to the stairs.

"EH!" both Lisanna and Gray cried.

Juvia grabbed her chest. _What is this feeling?_ she thought_ It feels, rather warm._

"Wait!" Gray called. Juvia flinched. _ He called to me! What is this feeling, I…. I…._

"I WANT HIM!" Juvia cried as she held up her hand," WATER LOCK!" A large torrent of water suddenly gathered around Gray, wrapping in a large blue orb.

"Gray!" Lisanna cried.

"Yes," Juvia said softly, her eyes hearts," I have him, he's mine." Suddenly, the water froze, and shattered. Gray emerged, relatively unharmed. Juvia gasped at the sight. His power truly was that of ice. _Water and Ice_ she thought_ Two sides of the same coin! We must be together!_

"Since you attacked me, I guess I'll have to be a little more forceful," Gray said. But before he could continue, a cloud of steam erupted out of Juvia's mouth.

"But we just met!" she cried.

**(with Erza and Sol)**

Erza dodged a stream of earth thrown at her. She then entered her Heaven's Wheel armor.

"Take this!" she yelled, as she let loose several swords at Sol. However, the earth mage sunk back into the ground. He then appeared beneath Erza, and wrapped his body around her arm.

"No! No! No!" Sol said," That will not do!" Erza cringed, as entered her Flame Empress armor, forcing Sol off her. She then swung his sword, and fire swallowed it. Sol managed to stretch his body out of the way though.

"Roche Concerto!" Sol said, as several rocks flew at the red head. Erza entered her Heaven's Wheel armor again, and used several swords to try and deflect the boulders. One of them however, got through and hit Erza square in the chest, knocking her back. She skidded on the floor, as she gasped slightly.

"My my," Sol said as he emerged from the ground again," It seems you just do not quit."

"I never quit," Erza said, pointing her sword at the green-clad man.

"So I have assembled," Sol said darkly," Very well then, I guess I must be serious." With that, he pressed his hands together, and swung them forward. A large arc of sand flew at Erza, but the re-quip user managed to cut through it. But when she emerged from the sand, Sol was gone.

"No! No! No!" Sol's voice rang out," That will not do!"

"Show yourself!" Erza said.

"Very well," Sol said," But you may not like what you see." Suddenly, several Sol's emerged from the earth, each one with a laughing expression. Erza cringed.

"It is a guessing game, which I have always enjoyed," Sol's voice said. On instinct, Erza launched one sword, only to destroy a earth clone. A boulder hit in the back, knocking her down. Erza launched a sword in that direction, but it just hit another earth clone.

"Where are you?!" Erza screamed.

**(with Jose)**

"This is going on too long," Jose said," Prepare for a second blast from the Jupiter Cannon."

"Yes Master!" the four mages controlling it said.

**(with the others)**

The rest of Fairy Tail was still fighting hard to try and take down the Shades and defend the guild. Nab noticed the Jupiter Cannon beginning to move.

"They are going to fire the cannon again!" he said.

"That's it!" Mirajane said, as she took the air," I can't take this anymore! I'm going to go stop it!" With that, she flew towards the fortress.

"Wait Mira!" Elfman said," As a man, I must help you!"

"But you can't fly, how are you going to follow her?" Wakaba asked.

"I will swim, like a real man!" Elfman declared.

"Actually, I can carry you," Happy said as he floated up next to Elfman.

"Real men do not accept help," Elfman insisted. However, realizing there was no other way, he relented, and let Happy carry him to Phantom Lord.

**(with Juvia and Gray)**

As Juvia continued to swoon, Gray pinched his brow.

"Look, Juvia was it, just tell me where Lucy is," he said.

"He said my name!" Juvia cried as she spun around.

"Its a freaking yes or no question!" Gray yelled.

"But my prince," Juvia said dramatically," Why do we not just run off together, and make children till the day we die!" That thought made both Lisanna and Gray cringe.

"Because I must protect Lucy!" Gray insisted. Juvia froze, and her head began to spin. _He wishes… to…. protect… her…._

"NEVER!" Juvia roared as stream of water spun around her," Water Nebula!" Two large streams of water suddenly slammed into Gray, knocking him into the ceiling. But it didn't stop there, it blasted him right through the ceiling. Erza and Sol caught a glimpse of him, but he was soon blasted through the wall to, and into an alley beside the guild hall.

"Gray!" Lisanna cried, only to be doused with a stream of hot water. Juvia was now literally steaming, as her eyes filled with fire.

"I will not allow anyone else to court my prince!" she declared. Lisanna sweat dropped at the statement. Juvia then turned into water, and flowed up to confront Gray.

When she got there, Gray was getting back up.

"Ice Make: Lance!" he said, as he launched a volley of ice spears at Juvia, only for them to go right through her like water. Gray gasped, before grimacing.

"Ice Make: Battle Axe!" He swung a large blade of ice through the air, but again, it went right through her.

"My body is made of water," Juvia explained as she opened her umbrella," I cannot be harmed." Gray grimaced more, before grinning. This caught Juvia off guard.

"If you are made of water, then take this!" he said, as he launched a column of ice at Juvia. Juvia let it go through her, but Gray suddenly launched himself forward, and held out his hand.

"No freeze!" he said, as a huge pillar of ice rose up from where the two were.

Gray panted, as he looked at the frozen girl.

"Is it o…" It was then that he noticed he was groping Juvia, and he let out a scream. Juvia had turned red. _He is so direct_ she thought longingly. Gray forced his hand out, but it caused the ice to shatter, freeing Juvia.

"Water Slicer!" Juvia said, as several water blades launched themselves at Gray. Gray managed to avoid most of them, but what caught him at the side. He let out a grunt, as he grabbed the slightly bleeding wound.

"Oh no, I hurt him!" Juvia said with a gasp. To her surprise though, Gray just stood up, and grinned.

"Its going to take more than that," he said. Then to HIS surprise, instead of fighting again, Juvia began to swoon once again.

"My prince is so strong and so brave," she said. Gray let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked up.

"I wonder how this rain got here," he said," It almost gloomy." Suddenly, Juvia flinched, and she slowly looked up. It felt as if someone had just ripped out her heart, and stuck it through a wood chipper.

"Gloomy?" she echoed, before her eyes darkened," Of course, you are just like the rest." She grabbed the rag doll that hanged from her collar, and narrowed her eyes. Water began to gather around her.

"But I don't mind it," Gray said with a shrug. Juvia froze, as the water fell to the ground.

"You… don't?" she stuttered.

"Not really, I trained in the snow, so rain is fine in my book," Gray said, pointing to the sky.

Juvia looked at the sky as well. _He doesn't mind…. He doesn't mind…. He doesn't mind…. _The phrase continued to echo in Juvia's head, before she looked down at Gray. She then let out a scream, as she shot up in a stream of water.

"Finally," she said, tears of joy in her eyes," I have met a man who does not mind the rain I bring with me wherever I go!" She then slowly rose her hands, before launching them forward.

"Water Curtain!" she said, as a huge torrent of water sprung form her hands, and blasted away multiple Phantom Lord shades, much to everyone's surprise.

Juvia smiled, as all the magical energy began to take its toll on her. She looked up to the sky, as she began to fall. As she did, the rain began to stop. Juvia saw, for the first time, the sun, and it made her smile even more.

"If I'm going to die…," she whispered," I will die… happily…"

As she fell however, Gray jumped up, and caught her.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. Juvia opened her eyes, and saw Gray.

"Gray," she whispered," You saved me." Gray blinked.

"Of course," Gray said," Why wouldn't I? I don't have anything personal against you." He then grinned.

"Actually, you're kind of cute."

Gray couldn't continue, as Juvia then passed out, much to his confusion.

**Note: Alright, there you go people. Let me just say that I won't post deadlines on my next chapter, because then I will feel pressure, which will not do me any good. Also, I won't be able to update as fast, since I'll be starting school soon.**

**That said, I am still taking ideas on how to progress this arc, and I hope you enjoyed this. Over 200 reviews and only 15 chapters, I must say I'm proud**


	16. The Elements Fall?

_**The Elements Fall?**_

Erza grunted, as she was smacked in the back with another boulder. She swung around, and cleaved her sword through another clone.

"Damn it," she hissed. She was making no progress in this, and it didn't help that Sol was constantly creating new earth clones to replace the ones that she had destroy.

"I am afraid you are not doing well," Sol's voice said. As much as Erza would hate to admit, he was right. She was panting, and even though she had her Heaven's Wheel armor on, all the boulders smashing into her were starting to take their toll.

_I'm not making any progress_ Erza thought_ If I'm going to win, I need to change my thinking. _Another boulder launched itself at Erza from behind, but this time, she managed to turn around and slash it.

"And to add insult, you tear up our guild even more, even the ground?" she snapped, but then her eyes widened, and she had an epiphany," THAT'S IT! Re quip!" Her amor then turned into her Lighting Empress armor.

"Why waste my time picking off statues one by one, when I can take them all down now?!" Erza said, as she thrust her lightning spear into the ground. Electricity then coursed across the floor, destroying several statues.

"Where are you?" Erza hissed, as she looked around the shattering stone. Then, she noticed a shape rising from the ground, one that wasn't shaped like a person.

"Got you!" she then yelled, as she launched herself at Sol. Before the earth mage could react, Erza slammed his spear into his body, sending him flying. He crashed into the wall. Erza grinned as she landed on her feet.

"Had enough of your cowardly tricks?" she asked. Sol glared at Erza as he climbed out of the rubble.

"Far from it!" he answered," My patience is reaching its end!" He then slipped back into the ground. Erza smiled, as she took a fighting stance.

"Show yourself!" she said.

"If you insist, then wi!" Sol proclaimed from the earth, as a large soon fist erupted from the ground beneath Erza. Caught off guard, Erza got slammed in the chin, and knocked back. She skidded a halt, and rubbed her jaw.

"Good," she said," I still have all my teeth."

"No! No! No!" Sol said as he emerged from the ground and adjusted his monocle," That will not do!"

"Hit me with your best shot," Erza said, as she took her Black Wing armor, and rushed Sol again.

**(with Elfman and Happy)**

"Drop me down here!" Elfman instructed to Happy, after they got into the cannon, and into the main area.

"Aye!" Happy said, as he let Elfman go. Unfortunately, he failed to realize Elfman meant for him to lower first.

"Are you okay?" Happy asked as Elfman pulled himself up.

"A real man does not admit pain!" Elfman declared, with a fist pumped.

"I'm going to find Lucy!" Happy said, as he flew away. However, a blast of flame suddenly got in his way.

"Gah!" he screamed. Elfman turned, and saw Totomaru standing there.

"I am afraid I cannot let you pass," he said," I, Totomaru of Fire, will defeat you." Elfman grinned, as he held up his arm.

"Beast Arm: Black Bull!" he said, as his arm turned into a black beast's," A real man always accepts a challenge."

**(with Mirajane)**

Once she had gotten into the fortress, Mirajane had turned back from Satan Soul mode, and she wandered around.

"Come on," she said with a tick mark on her head," Where is everyone?"

**(with Jose)**

Jose sneered at the sight of Mirajane.

"So that is the Demon Mirajane Strauss?" he said, before looking to his left," Aria!"

**(with Mirajane)**

Mirajane felt the breeze pick up slightly. She seemed to sense something.

"Who's there!" she yelled, as she took a fighting sense.

"Fighting in such a sense is truly sorrowful," a voice said. Mirajane let out a hiss, as she looked behind her. Before she could respond though, a blast of air sent her flying. She skidded to the ground on her feet, and looked up. Standing there was Aria, his hands held up.

"I am Aria of the Wind," Aria said," I am the leader of the Element Four, and the mightiest of them all!" Mirajane just sneered.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" she asked as she gathered her magical energy, and entered Satan Soul form.

**(with Jose)**

The guild master of Phantom Lord watched from his lair.

"So, Juvia has betrayed us, and the remaining three Elements are facing their challengers," he said, as he turned to noter viewing area. It showed Natsu walking through the hall, in a remarkably calm fashion.

"It seems that the Jupiter Cannon might have been too much, even for the Chaos Dragon," Jose noted," Perhaps Gajeel will stand a chance after all."

**(with Erza and Sol)**

"Symphonie en Pierre!" Sol said, as several rock fists emerged from the ground, and launched themselves at Erza. Erza armed herself with a second sword, and cut through the many rock fists.

"You will have to do much better than that!" Erza declared with a grin.

"Wi, if you insist," Sol said as he fingered his mustache," Then take my Roche en Planche!" He stamp his foot in the ground, and large pillars of stone rippled out. The force knocked Erza off balance briefly. This gave Sol a chance to try and use his trump card.

"This battle is over!" he declared," Platre Sonata!" With that, a huge fist of earth erupted from the ground, aimed at Erza. The red head managed to notice it, and she quickly re-quipped to her defensive armor. She held up the large shield as fast as she could. Just in time as well, as the enormous fist crashed into the shield.

Erza clenched her teeth, as she felt herself get pushed back by the sheer force of the attack. The shield continued to vibrate under the sheer power of the attack.

"No! No! No!" Sol said as he flailed back and forth," That will not do! You must fall eventually!"

"Watch me prove otherwise!" Erza declared loudly, as with a defiant yell, she forced herself forward, and broke off the enormous attack.

"Sacrebleu!" Sol said in horror, as Erza then launched herself at him.

"MY patience has reached its end!" she said," Purgatory Armor!" With that, she changed into her terrifying Purgatory armor, and brought the enormous sword down. Sol attempted to hold up a rock wall to defend himself with, but it did little good, as the sword cleaved right through it.

"No! No! No!" Sol said, flailing his arms around," This will not…" The force of the blow itself blew Sol away, as he crashed into the wall. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Erza panted, as she entered her more general armor. She smiled victoriously. She then rose her sword into the air.

"That is what happens you trifle with Fairy Tail!"

**(with Happy)**

"Lucy!" Happy called," Lucy!" He had managed to escape from Totomaru, with Elfman's help. He was now looking for Lucy, with her keys. Happy just hoped that Elfman could handle Totomaru.

**(with Elfman and Totomaru)**

Elfman bent back as he felt the heat from Totomaru's fire-enhanced katana

"A reel man fights with his fists, not a weapon!" Elfman declared, as he took his Iron Bull arm, and let out a punch at Totomaru, who managed to avoid the attack.

"Try my Blue Flame!" the red-clad warrior, said, as he launched a strange stream of blue fire at the big man. Elfman managed to hold his arms, to try and defend. However, to his surprise, the fire was cold.

"What the heck was that?" Elfman demanded.

"That was a taste of the power of my Rainbow Fire!" Totomaru said," I am the Fire Master!" He struck a pose as fire danced around him.

Elfman clenched his fists, as he tok his Lizard man arm.

"As a man, I have to defeat you for Lucy's sake!" he declared," And for Fairy Tail's!"

"You will not defeat me!" Totomaru declared," You will not even be able to get close to me with all my flames!" He then launched a stream of fire at Elfman, who jumped out of the way. He then punched down at Totomaru, who managed to dodge. Elfman's blow left a crater in the ground.

Totomaru then jumped over him, and gathered fire in his foot.

"Take this!" he said, as he kicked Elfman in the back, and he let out a pained grunt. Elfman turned his arm into stone, and punched at Totomaru, who managed to avoid it yet again.

As they were fighting, energy began to gather in the Jupiter Cannon Lacrima again. Elfman cringed at the sight. He knew he only had a few more minutes tops before the cannon fired again. And since Natsu wasn't there, and Erza was probably occupied, if it fired, it would destroy the guild and everyone there.

With that in mind, Elfman, launched himself at the Lacrima orb, but he was blasted away again by Totomaru's fire.

"You're attacks are far too standard," he said," You will never win with moves like that!" Elfman cringed. _Since I am a man, I can't admit it_ he thought_ But it is true._ He then grabbed a large hunk of stone, and threw it at Totomaru. Not expecting such a move, the Phantom Lord mage just barely dodged, but as he did, he took his eyes of Elfman. The Fairy Tail mage then jumped up, and held up his stone enhanced fist. He then crashed it into Totomaru, who let out a gasp as he went flying. He crashed into the wall.

"As a man, I must think outside of the box!" Elfman said, as he gave a strong grin. Totomaru emerged from rubble, with a grimace.

"If you are going to be unorthodox, then so shall I!" he said. He then waved his hands through the air, as fire of all colors formed around him.

"Take my ultimate attack, the Rainbow Flames!" he said, as he got ready to launch all the flames at once. Elfman started to gather up his magical energy in his own right.

"This ends now!" Totomaru roared, as he launched all the fire at once. Elfman was consumed in a torrent of multi-colored fire. Totomaru let out a large laugh.

"This is the power of Phantom Lord!" he declared. But then, the room was shaken by a powerful roar, and a large form began to take shape in the flames. The fire soon dissipated completely, and when it did, the sight of what was truly within the spot, made all the color drain from Totomaru's face.

"Takeover: Beast Soul!" Elfman roared as he appeared in his enormous horned Beast Soul mode. The beast held up an enormous fist, and brought it down at Totomaru, who just managed to dodge. But he was soon met again by another large fist from Elfman, who swatted him away, and slammed him to the wall. Totomaru struggled to get up, but a large foot crashed down in front of him. He looked up, and saw the glowing eyes of the beast, who let out another growl. That alone, made Totomaru pass out.

Victorious, Elfman let out a great roar. He then quickly turned his attention to the Lacrima that powered that the Jupiter Cannon. It was just getting ready to fire, and Elfman launched himself at the orb, and slammed it fist into it. With that, it shattered into multiple pieces.

**(with Jose)**

"Master, the Lacrima that powers the Jupiter Cannon has been destroyed!"

Jose crushed the arms of the chair he was sitting in, as he sweated in his rage.

"Even Totomaru was defeated," he growled in a dangerous tone.

**(with Mirajane and Aria)**

Mirajane dodged another blast from Aria, who hadn't even seemed to have moved in he slightest bit yet. How he could tell where Mirajane was from behind that blindfold was something the white haired girl couldn't understand.

"Demon Blast!" she yelled, as she let loose blast of dark energy. The dark orb however, simply seemed to dissipate before it could reach Aria.

"Any attack you give me, I will neutralize," the enormous man said," You cannot defeat me."

"Watch me!" Mirajane said, as she charged the air mage again.

"Immetsu," Aria said, as he waved his hands. The air around Mirajane then exploded, knocking her back. It didn't do her any serious harm, but it still took a toll. Mirajane clenched her teeth, and took to the air with her wings.

"You apparently have a very short memory space," Aria said," It is sad that you forget that the air is my domain." With that, he clapped his hands together once

"Kireme," he said, as glowing orbs appeared around Mirajane, before exploding in synchronization with each other. This made Mirajane plummet to the ground. She weakly got up from the rubble.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath," What is with this guy?"

"Fighting such a one sided battle is sad," Aria said," Will you not give up?"

"Of course not!" Mirajane snapped, as she charged another attack up," Darkness Stream!" Several dark hands erupted from her hand, but they failed to reach Aria, as they continued to explode before they reached him.

"It is useless," Aria said," Since you do not appear to understand, I must explain the principles of my magic to you. My magic is Airspace."

"Airspace?" Mirajane asked.

"Indeed," Aria answered," I manipulate certain places in the air to my own means." He then faded from view.

"What the…," Mirajane murmured.

"In such fashion," Aria continued, as he held up his hands," This battle ends now." His hands glowed for a brief moment.

"Metsu," he then murmured. There was a flash of light, and Mirajane let out a scream.

"It was very sorrowful," Aria said," But you could not…" Before he could continue, he had a kick in the back of his neck. When he turned, he saw Mira standing behind him smirking, outside of her Satan Soul form.

"You seemed to have forgotten something as well," she said," I use Takeover magic. When I saw what you were doing, I turned into a bird to fly away.'" Aria stood up, and retrieved his hat.

"Sadly, such a break will not help you," he said.

"I beg to differ," Mirajane said, as she entered Satan Soul again.

A swam shade then suddenly floated into the room, but Mirajane was quick to respond.

"Demon Blast!" she said, blasting most of the shades away, save for one, which floated up to Aria.

**"Aria!" **it spoke in Jose's voice.

"Master?" Aria said.

**"Totomaru has been defeated!"** Jose said. Mirajane grinned at that.

"Wait to go Elfman," she said to herself softly.

**"You are the only one of the Element Four remaining, do not fail!"** Jose said, before Mirajane blasted the shade away.

"I shall not," Aria said, as he reached up to his face," It would be very sad if I didn't." With that, he removed his blind fold. There was a suddenly a huge blast of energy, which forced Mirajane to grab onto the ground so she didn't get blown away. Aria smiled as he opened his eyes.

"With my blindfold off, I will not lose!" he declared, as he took a stance. Energy then gathered around him. Having a feeling what was coming, Mirajane gathered dark energy in her hands.

"Zero!" Aria said, as he thrust his hands forward.

"Soul Extinction!" Mirajane said, as she thrusted her hands forward. The powers collided, by the Soul Extinction soon overpowered the Zero.

"Impo…," Aria said, but he was suddenly blown away, crying," This is so sad!" With that, he crashed into the ground. Mirajane smirked, as she shifted back into human form, and fell to one knee.

"Well that was fun," she said to herself.

**(with Jose)**

"Even Aria has been defeated?" Jose said, with a flustered look," Now all that is left is Gajeel."

**(with Natsu)**

_"….you better not lose…"_

Natsu continued to walk down the hall, looking around. He stopped in front of one door, smelling something of interest.

"Lucy! Lucy!" he heard someone calling. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Happy flying towards him.

"You?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu!" Happy yelped.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu questioned.

"I'm looking for Lucy," Happy answered," What are you…" Natsu just gave him his "Natsu Glare". That made Happy be quiet.

"I don't have time for you," Natsu said, as he kicked the door open.

"Natsu! Mmph! Happy!" a muffled voice said. Both Fairy Tail goers then saw Lucy sitting the back of the large room, tied up.

"Lucy!" Happy said as he started to fly over there. However, he was interrupted, when a tall figure landed in front of him.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you," the figure said. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

The dust cleared, and standing there, was Gajeel, with one fist clenched.

"The Chaos Dragon, Natsu Dragonia," he said.

**Note: Alright, here you go. Now, I want to make the fight so that is not so lopsided in Natsu's favor. Does anyone have any suggestions?**


	17. Chaos Dragon vs Iron Dragon

_**Chaos Dragon vs. Iron Dragon**_

"Identify yourself," Natsu said darkly.

"The names Gajeel Redfox," Gajeel answered as he held up his fist," I am the strongest mage of Phantom Lord!" He then smirked.

"And I am the Iron Dragon Slayer," he said. Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"So you are Phantom Lord's Dragon Slayer," he said.

"That's right," Gajeel said, his smirk growing.

"Pathetic."

Gajeel's smile dropped instantly, as his eyes widened. Happy's jaw dropped at the notion. Lucy flailed like a dying fish in the background.

"You sully the title of Dragon Slayer," Natsu said," I refuse to believe that a dragon, the most majestic beast in Fiore, would have produced you."

"You… bastard…," Gajeel said, shaking in rage.

"I simply do not believe that there would ever be a dragon who would lower itself to you," Natsu said with a snort. Gajeel was no so angry, he was sweating.

"Oh I'm pathetic?" he said," WELL TAKE THIS!" With that, his hand turned into iron, and he thrust it forward.

"Iron Dragon Club!" he said, as an enormous iron club shot forward. Natsu casually leaned to the right, as the iron pole missed him completely. Gajeel let out an angry roar, as he retracted his fist, whiling using Iron Dragon Club with his leg. However, Natsu held up his hand and caught it.

"Cat!" he said. Happy flinched.

"Uh, yeah?" he asked.

"Free the blonde girl," Natsu instructed," I will deal with this guy. It will not take long."

"A-Aye!" Happy said, as he flew towards Lucy.

"You think you can beat me that easily?" Gajeel sneered, as he glared at Natsu," Take this!" He then swung his leg out of Natsu's hand, and jumped up.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" he said. Natsu jumped out of the way.

"Is that it?" Natsu asked calmly.

"Oh I'm just getting warmed up," Gajeel said, as he turned his hand into an iron spear," Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!" From the single iron spear, several iron spears launched itself at Natsu.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" Natsu countered, as he held up his arms. The spears bounced off against the shield, doing little. However, Natsu shifted his feet. _Strange_ he thought_ I've never had to shift my feet from an attack like this before._ For the time being, he put it out of his head.

"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel roared, as he turned his arm into a large sword, and swung it down on Natsu. Natsu managed to jump out of the way, before jumping straight at Gajeel.

"What…," Gajeel said, caught off guard as Natsu suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" Natsu said, as he punched forward. It slammed right in Gajeel's gut, and sent him flying. Gajeel skidded to a halt on his feet, as he grimaced. He massaged his stomach at that. The Iron Dragon Slayer had certainly expected the attack to have some power behind it, but not that much. But Gajeel wasn't going to give up that easy.

**(with Makarov and Porlyusica)**

"I still say you shouldn't do this," Porlyusica said," Your body has not yet fully healed yet."

"I cannot yet my children fight alone," Makarov said, as he put on his coat," My principles won't allow it."

**(with Natsu and Gajeel)**

"Can't you do this faster!" Lucy said, as Happy fidgeted with the ropes.

"Maybe I shouldn't have uncovered your mouth," Happy griped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy demanded.

As the two bickered, Natsu twisted out of the way to avoid another strike from Gajeel.

"If you wish to actually try to defeat me, you will have to train for another 100 years," Natsu said darkly. Gajeel glared, as in a frustrated move, he took a deep breath.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" he said. Natsu held up his arms.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" he said, in an attempt to deflect the multiple iron shards. For the most part, he deflected the shards, but he felt a brief sting on his shoulder, and another on his leg. When the attack, dissipated, Natsu noticed that he had some cuts on his body. That didn't go unnoticed by Gajeel, who smirked.

"Looks like you aren't invincible," he said, as he clenched his fist," Seems blocking the Jupiter Cannon took something out of you." Natsu, though he didn't want to admit it, knew Gajeel was right. Defending Fairy Tail from that cannon blast cost a lot of his magical power.

"Tch," Natsu said, as he wiped some blood from his face," It takes more than that to deter me." Gajeel grinned, as he clenched his fist.

"Time I take this to the next level," he said, as his body briefly glowed, before revealing he was no covered with scales," Iron Dragon's Scales." Natsu arched an eyebrow, but didn't seem that impressed.

"Is that it?" he questioned," I am disappointed, I thought you would give more." Gajeel grinned.

"So you want more?" he sneered," Because this sky isn't big enough for two dragons!"

"Exactly," Natsu said," So one of the dragons must be shot down."

"Then take this!" Gajeel roared, as he clasped his hands together. His magical seal then appeared around them.

"Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Harpoon!" Gajeel roared, as a long iron spear launched itself from his hands, aimed at Natsu. Natsu jumped out of the way to avoid it.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel said as he breathed out another storm of shards. Natsu took a breath.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" he said, as he released his own Dragon's Roar. The two Dragon Slayer techniques collided, though Natsu's eventually overtook Gajeel's. When the dust cleared, Gajeel shot himself at Natsu, and slammed into him, but Natsu managed to block with his arms.

"Look at all that power," Lucy said in awe as she watched while Happy worked with the ropes," Its like I'm watching two dragons fighting."

"There!" Happy said as he finished undoing the ropes.

"Thanks Happy!" Lucy said as she got up," Next time I get some fish, I'll have you over!"

"Aye!" Happy said as he bounced up.

"The girl's escaping!" a Phantom Lord mage said, as he and his friends ran over.

"We're in trouble!" Happy said.

"Do you have my keys?" Lucy asked. Happy held them up, and Lucy took them.

"Then we have nothing to worry about," she said confidently, as she took out one key," No open, Gate of the Lion: Leo!" From the light, emerged a tall young man, with spiky orange hair, and glasses. He adjusted them. Leo offered his hand to Lucy.

"What can I offer to you, my fair maiden?" he said in a seductive tone.

"I need you to deal with them!" Lucy said, pointing to the approaching Phantom Lord goers.

"This will not take long," Leo said, as he jumped at the mages.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Gajeel were still fighting fiercely.

"Chaos Dragon's Guillotine!" Natsu said as he slammed his elbow down. Gajeel dodged, and Natsu's elbow bashed into the ground, making a large crater.

"Iron Dragon's Talon!" Gajeel said, as he turned his leg into a curved blade, and slashed it down. Natsu managed to avoid it, only to get hit in the back by Gajeel's iron club. Gajeel laughed as Natsu flew into a wall.

"Looks like I'm finally accomplishing some things against you," he said," I don't see that confidence anymore." Natsu stood up, and cracked his neck. He then gathered his power in his hands.

"Chaos Dragon's Cannon!" he yelled, as he fired a large blue energy blast. Gajeel got out of the way just in time.

"Iron Dragon's Lance!" he said, as he turned his leg into a spear, and shot it towards Natsu. Natsu held up his arms to use his shield move. As the spear crashed into it, Natsu was actually pushed back by the force, though the shield held. After it was done, Natsu jumped into the air.

"Chaos Dragon's Wing Attack!" he said, as both of his arms got encased in his magic. Caught off guard, Gajeel was knocked down to the ground by Natsu's attack. As Natsu landed, Gajeel got up, and noticed a crack on his face with the scales, along with multiple dents in his armor. He glared at Natsu.

"Glaring at me does not guarantee victory," Natsu said plainly, as he held up his hand, and gestured for Gajeel to come.

**(with the others)**

Outside, all the Fairy Tail mages, plus the newly turned Juvia, were fighting against the shades.

"Am the only one who finds that we have a Phantom Lord mage with us a little strange?" Cana asked.

"Gray seems to trust you," Max said, as he blasted one Shade away with his sand," That would be enough."

"But we don't seem to be making any progress!" Erza said, as she gut down one shade," As long as Jose is still in that fortress, we won't be able to take this shades down."

"Then we must take Jose down!" a familiar voice said.

**(with Natsu and Gajeel)**

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" Natsu said.

"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel countered.

The two attacks collided with each other, knocking both back. Currently, this fight didn't seem to be having any clear winner. Both of them were looking tired.

And during all this, Lucy was doing her best to fight off approaching Phantom Lord mages with her Celestial Spirits.

"I've had enough of this!" Gajeel said," I'm going to finish you off!" He then took a deep breath, before breathing into his hands.

"Iron Dragon's Roar: Demon Rain!" he said. From his hands, an enormous cloud of metal spears emerged, and shot at Natsu.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" Natsu countered as he held up his hand to block. Though the technique managed to work for a time, eventually, even Natsu couldn't take that much, and he was slashed up, and knocked back.

"Natsu!" Happy cried.

Gajeel laughed.

"Since I heard about you," he said," I have wanted to defeat you. You are the Chaos Dragon, the greatest opponent one could ever face! So all my fights and quests, were all to prepare me for you!" With that, he jumped up, and turned both his legs into clubs.

"Iron Dragon's Hammer!" he said, as he thrust down.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, over Gajeel's laughing. But when the dust cleared, he stopped laughing.

Natsu had managed to roll out of the way, and was now slowly standing up.

"Feel honored," he said," Its rare that I use this attack." With that, he clenched both hands into fists, and then smashed them together, before launching at Gajeel.

"Apocalypse Technique," he said softly, before smashing one fist into Gajeel," Chaos Blast!" With that, he then began punching Gajeel rapidly, with all of his magical charged fists. And with one final punch, he sent the Iron Dragon Slayer flying. Gajeel crashed into the ceiling, before falling to the ground. He was defeated.

The Phantom Lord mages Lucy was fighting suddenly stopped, as they stared at the defeated Gajeel.

"He… beat… Gajeel," one of them said softly. Natsu then turned to them, and his eyes flashed.

"Retreat!" they all cried as they ran.

"Amazing," Lucy said as she stared at Natsu. Leo then appeared in front of her.

"It has been an honor working with such a fine lady," he said," May I interest you in dinner at some time?" Lucy sweat-dropped.

"I don't think so," she said as she closed Leo's gate.

Natsu walked over to where Gajeel was. As it turned out, he was still conscious.

"Are you going to gloat over your victory?" he asked.

"No," Natsu said," I have to say, that I was wrong." Gajeel blinked.

"It has been a while since I fought like that," Natsu said, folding his arms," And you are the first one in a while who managed to give me a true challenge. Perhaps you are a Dragon Slayer. Tell me the name of your dragon." Gajeel snorted.

"Why should I?" he asked.

"Because I asked," Natsu said plainly. Gajeel snickered at the statement.

"Fine," he said," I was raised by the Iron Dragon, Metalicana." Natsu arched an eyebrow.

"Very well," he said," I was raised by the Apocalypse Dragon, Acnologia. But he disappeared on x777."

"You two, huh?" Gajeel asked as he looked at Natsu.

"It happened to you as well?" Natsu asked.

"Obviously," Gajeel said," But what the facts are, I don't know."

**(with Jose)**

Jose smashed his fist on the chair he was sitting on.

"Impossible!" he said," Gajeel was beaten?"

"Apparently so," a familiar voice said. Jose looked up, and saw Makarov walking into his room.

"We never did finish that fight did we?" he asked, as he shrugged off his coat.

**Note: Well, I hoped you were satisfied with the battle between Gajeel and Natsu. Now I never intended on having Natsu fight Gajeel AND Jose, since I know that as powerful as Natsu is, I don't think he would be able to defeat a Ten Wizard Saint. I should remind you that he has yet to ever defeat Makarov or Gildarts. Still taking ideas**


	18. Fairy Law

_**Fairy Law**_

"Makarov," Jose said, as he glared at the Fairy Tail master. He then stood up.

"I see you have made a full recovery," he sneered.

"Indeed," Makarov answered, as he held up one hand, and clenched it into a fist," And you and I are due for a much needed discussion." Jose laughed, as his body began to glow with dark magic.

"I suppose we are," he answered, as he held up one of his own hands," I do have some legitimate points to say."

"So do I," Makarov said, as his body began to glow.

Jose then let out a sinister grin, as he thrust his hand forward. A shade hand then shot out of it, and reached towards Makarov. The short man then grew to giant size, and blocked the blow away.

"Shade Swarm: Jellyfish!" Jose said, as a swarm of shades gathered up into an ball, forming a multi-handed black mass. The mass then thrust its fists at Makarov, who held up his arms to block the blows. He then let out a yell, as he punched at the black mass. But they just elastically stretched as if it was made of some kind of gel.

"It takes more than that to take down my shades," Jose said darkly, as he snapped his fingers. The mass then took a more serpentine shape.

"Shade Swarm: Dragon!" Jose said, as he thrust both his hands forward. The colossal shade now looked like a large, serpentine dragon, with glowing red eyes. It let out a sinister shriek, before it launched itself at Makarov. The Fairy Tail master jumped up to dodge, before launching himself at the Phantom Lord master. He let out an angry yell, as he punched down at his enemy. Jose jumped out of the way, before willing the shade dragon to attack Makarov again. The beast slammed into Makarov's back, knocking him back. Jose laughed cruelly.

"I will not lose to you!" he declared," Phantom Lord will not be defeated by Fairy Tail! I will not let my guild be looked down upon!"

From the rubble, Makarov slowly rose, and glared at Jose.

"You are blinded by your simple pride," he said," You put yourself, and your followers at risk just because you can't acknowledge anything but victory." Makarov then held his hands close together.

"Something like that, is unforgivable," he said," And it does not help, when you antagonize a family." Golden energy then gathered in his hands.

"You have three seconds, before I end this battle," Makarov said," One…" Jose's eyes glowed menacingly.

"I will not lose to you!" he declared, as he let loose another swarm of shades. The shade dragon then zeroed in on Makarov.

"Two…"

"I am Phantom Lord! We are the greatest!"

"Three…."

The golden light quickly spread, causing the shades to fade away. Jose's eyes widened, as he recognized this feeling.

"Is this… one of the….," he murmured.

Makarov then spread his hands around the area.

"This ends here, Jose," Makarov said," Fairy Law!"

**(with the others)**

"What is that light?" Juvia asked, as everyone saw a golden light coming from the sky.

"I know that technique," Erza said slowly," Its the master's ultimate attack."

"Fairy Law….," was all Gray said, before an enormous column of light consumed the top of the Phantom Lord guild.

**(with Natsu and Lucy)**

Natsu was panting, as he leaned against a wall, watching the situation unfold. Lucy was just staring it awe at all the power.

**(somewhere else)**

Some distance away, watching from a hill, Mystogan sighed.

"I suppose I came to late," he said, as he walked away. Behind him, were numerous guild flags, all of which were once subordinate to Phantom Lord

But as soon as the light came, it faded away again.

**(with Makarov)**

Makarov took a breath, as he stepped back.

In front of him, Jose had collapsed to his knees, his skin a deathly pale color. His face was like a blank slate.

"You are a fool, Jose," Makarov said," In your own rage and frustration, you became blind to what was best for your guild." He then shook his head, as he turned around, gathered and put on his coat, and walked away.

"You do not deserve to be a guild master," he said simply.

**(with the others)**

Everyone watched, as Makarov appeared on the top of the structure.

"Master," Lisanna said. Makarov held up a fist, then stuck up one finger, and his thumb.

"The war is over! We have achieved victory!" he declared.

The entire Fairy Tail guild roared in triumph.

Lucy, with tears in her eyes, hugged Happy. Natsu just watched in silence. Gajeel also watched in silence, before snorting with a smirk.

Juvia didn't know how to react at first, but soon, she smiled.

But nothing could ever compare, to the joy that Fairy Tail was now feeling, as their longtime rival and antagonizer, had finally ended its siege.

**(later)**

"Okay!" Makarov declared, as he stood on top of a pile of wood, wearing a hard hat," First and foremost, let us all welcome the newest member to our guild, Juvia Lockser!" Juvia stepped forward next to him, and smiled at everyone.

"Juvia hopes people will be nice to her!" she said, still smiling.

"The second issue, is with the war over, we must rebuild the guild hall!" Makarov continued. He then grew to enormous size, and picked up a couple pieces of lumber.

"Well, what are you people sitting around for?" he asked," Don't tell me you're going to make an old man do all the work!" Soon, the entire guild that was present was pitching in. Natsu had gone off to do whatever, so he unfortunately wasn't there.

As the day wound on, Gray sat down on some lumber, and let out a breath.

"On your feet, Gray!" Erza instructed, as she walked past him.

"Just taking a break!" Gray answered, as he wiped his brow. From the background, Juvia watched diligently.

"Gray without a shirt," she said, as steam came out of her hat," And all sweaty. Its… its…." Juvia then literally melted.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!" Lucy said, as she held up one of her keys. From the light, emerged a pink haired girl in a maid's outfit.

"What is it, Princess?" she asked.

"We need your help," Lucy said," Will you help us rebuild our guild?"

"Is it a punishment?" Virgo asked casually. Lucy sweat dropped.

"Uh, I don't think so," she said.

"Very well then Princess," Virgo said," I suppose you will punish me later than." With that, the maiden picked up a piece of wood the same size as the one the master did with ease.

"I wish Natsu was here," Happy said as he floated up next to Lucy, carrying a bucket of nails," He would probably help out a lot."

"Natsu just destroys," Mirajane said, as she flew overhead, with bat wings, carrying a large hammer," He can't ever build!" Lucy sighed.

"Isn't that being a little harsh?" she mused to herself as she took the nail bucket from Happy.

**Note: Sorry this chapter is short, but I figured whatever I had in mind next could wait till next chapter. As some of you might have noticed, I put a poll on my profile page of the possible pairings to have with Natsu. Take note, however, that I do not intend to stick with this. It is mostly to see what the readers as a whole think. Coming up next in this story, should be the Tower of Heaven arc, but I don't know whether or not to include a filler between it, such a with Lucy's father. So I am taking ideas**


	19. Blocks, Cats, Cards, and Darkness

_**Blocks, Cats, Cards, and Darkness**_

_My first mission with my prince_ Juvia thought , as she swooned in the background. In front of her were Lucy, Gray, and Erza. Happy was floating overhead from the group. They had just completed a mission, and were now heading back to Fairy Tail.

It had been about a month since Fairy Tail defeated Phantom Lord, and the latter was disband, and nothing of substance had really been going on. Lucy let out a sigh.

"I'm getting tired, and it looks like its getting late," she said," Shouldn't we stop somewhere to take a break?"

"Lucy's right," Gray said," We should probably go to an inn or something and spend the night there." _A night with Gray? This happening so fast!_ Juvia thought, as her water body bubbled.

"Very well," Erza said," But where can we stay?"

"I heard Akane Resort is near here," Lucy said with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked," There's no way we can afford that."

"Don't worry," Lucy said with a wink," Leave it to me."

Eventually, the four of them got to the resort.

"My," Juvia said softly," This place is amazing."

"Now how are we going to get in?" Gray asked.

"Just watch me," Lucy insisted. She then walked up to the reception desk.

"Can I help you?" the woman at the desk asked. Lucy gave a sweet grin.

"Hi Sam!" she said," Its me Lucy!" The woman blinked.

"Lucy?" she asked. The blonde gave a firm nod. The receptionist then let out a squeal, and jumped back, before briefly bowing.

"Ms. Heartfilia!" she said," Welcome back! It is always a pleasure! Do you wish to stay in your general accommodation?"

"Sure," Lucy said, before jerking her thumb back to the three humans and the cat behind her," And these people and that cat are with me, so I expect them to also be accommodated as necessary."

"With pleasure, my Lady!" the receptionist said, before hurrying out.

"What was that?" Erza asked as she walked up to Lucy.

"When my mother was still alive, my family would often come here," Lucy explained," We sort of took over part of the resort." After she said that, the receptionist came back with the room keys.

Eventually, the group had settled in, and much to Juvia disappointment, Gray got a separate room from her, but nobody would put it past the water girl to sneak into Gray's room at night. The group then spent the majority of the day riding rides, are relaxing on the beach. The evening was soon upon them, and they decided to hit the casino that was part of the hotel.

Erza took a breath as she wrapped herself in her towel, and walked out the bathroom. There was always something about a nice hot bath that really seemed to relax her. She stood in front of mirror, and pondered what to wear for the day. Then suddenly, an image appeared in her head.

_(Flashback)_

_A young girl with short red hair skipped through the grass during night in a small village._

_Explosions and fire surrounded suddenly the girl, as she fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. A tall figure stood over, and there was a sinister laugh._

_(End Flashback)_

Erza flinched as she rubbed her head slightly. A series of images then flashed in her head again.

_(Flashback)_

_The girl, now dressed in rags, fell to the ground, as a series of vicious looking monsters surrounded her, and men dressed in black stood over her, some holding whips._

_(End Flashback)_

Erza quickly shook her head free of the images.

"I need to get more sleep," she mused to herself, as she re-quipped into a purple dress, with her hair tied up," This will do."

She then hurried down to the casino area. Erza looked around, and saw a poker table. She smirked, and cracked her knuckles.

**(with Gray)**

Gray looked at his cards, as he contemplated his situation.

"My dear Gray," Juvia said as she walked up," How do I look?" She was dressed in a blue dress, with a golden fairy tail symbol.

"You like fine," Gray said, as he turned back to his cards.

**(with Lucy and Erza)**

"You're doing good," Lucy said she looked over Erza's shoulder.

"Aye!" Happy said," Erza is great!"

"The key is having a good set of eyes," Erza explained, with a smirk," After that, it becomes as easy as counting to ten."

They were suddenly distracted by the sound of a crash near a bar. The two girls looked over the shoulders, and saw a guy on the ground. He looked pretty scared. Standing over him, was a tall figure.

"I'm sorry!" he said," I'll never try and steal your necklace again!"

"Good," the figure said," Now get out of here, before I blast your head open." He held up one fist, and it became charged with magical energy.

"I know that voice!" Lucy said.

"And I know that magic!" Erza responded.

"Natsu!" Happy said. And he was right. Standing there, as his magic dissipated, and the attempted thief ran away, was Natsu.

"Maybe he won't notice," Lucy said, as she quickly whirled around back to their table. Unfortunately, he looked over, noticed the trio, and walked over.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, folding his arms.

"We're resting after a mission," Erza said firmly as she stood up," What are you doing here?"

"I am investigating a string of dark magic occurrences," Natsu answered.

"In a casino?" Lucy said, blinking.

"Casinos like this are hotbeds for criminals," Natsu explained, as he looked around," But I won't waste my time explaining it to you." With that, he walked away.

"Tch," Erza said with a frown," That guy really thinks his above it all with his strength. He thinks he's the greatest." She then huffed, and turned back to her table.

"It almost sounds like you like…," Lucy never got to finish, as Erza summoned a small fly swatter, and casually smacked Lucy in the back of the head.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu walked down the aisle, as he looked around.

"You know, it is certainly not dandy to do such a thing to a woman," a voice said. Natsu looked over his shoulder, and saw the strangest man he had ever seen, which coming from him, was saying something. He was literally a blockhead, as his whole body seemed to be composed of cubes.

"I fail to see how it i is any concern but my own," Natsu said, as he turned to face the man. The man stood up, and tipped his hat.

"It is my business when it regards that woman," he said.

"And whose business is it?" Natsu questioned. The man gave a dark grin, as he held up his hand, and it formed in a gun.

"Just call me Wally," he said," Its a dandy name."

**(with Gray and Juvia)**

There as suddenly a banging sound coming from the back.

"What was that?" Juvia asked.

"Probably just the parade," Gray said, as he went back to his cards. He then felt a shadow fall over him. He looked over his shoulder, and saw an enormous man standing behind him. He was dressed in a fashion that Gray would have been dressed had he not had a stronger will when it came to clothes. But what really stood out about him was his jaw, which was iron.

"Gray Fullbuster?" the man asked.

"Who wants to know?" Gray said, as he and Juvia turned around to face the man.

"Just an average individual," the man answered, as one of eyes flashed.

**(with Lucy and Erza)**

Another large banging came from a different part of the casino. Both girls stood up.

"What was that?" Happy cried as he flailed around in the air over them.

"That wasn't pat of the parade!" Erza said.

"Was it Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"No, that didn't seem like one of Natsu's Chaos attacks," Erza said," That was something else."

"You are certainly right," a fourth voice said. Erza froze at that voice, and slowly looked over her shoulder. Standing there, was a young man, with tan skin, and blonde hair.

"Aren't you, sis?" he said.

"Sh-Sho," Erza stuttered," Is that really you?"

"Who else could it be?" Sho asked, with a shrug.

"Erza, you know this guy?" Lucy asked.

"Its a long story," Erza said, clenching her fists.

"It sure is," Sho said," Unfortunately, you don't have the time."

**(with Gray and Juvia)**

Gray emerged from the rubble, and water gathered from between the cracks, to form Juvia.

"What the hell!" Gray snapped, as he took his fighting stance.

"Who are you?" Juvia demanded, as she also took a stance. The big man, however, wasn't responding, he was staring into space.

"Very well," he said. He then turned to Gray and Juvia.

"I am afraid I must go," he said," I suppose you would see me off, but that would not apply in the situation. Dark Moment!" Within a single second, the entire room was suddenly devoid of light.

"What the…," Gray said, before he was struck down.

"Gray!" Juvia cried, and then she was also struck down with a magical blast.

**(with Lucy and Erza)**

"Where did this darkness come from?" Lucy cried as she looked around.

"I don't know!" Erza answered, as she also looked around.

"I'm scared!" Happy said, as he clanged to the nearest thing, which unfortunately happened to be Lucy's face.

"Get… mmph… off!" Lucy said in a muffled voice.

The darkness soon faded away, and when it did, the many people in the casino were gone.

"Where did…," Lucy began, but the answer soon came, as the sounds of people crying for help came from the ground. When Lucy and Erza looked down, they saw piles of cards on the ground, with the people inside them.

"What do you think?" Sho said, as he stepped forward, holding up one card that held one person. Erza's eyes widened.

"You… you can use magic?" she asked in shock.

"I sure can, sis!" Sho said proudly.

"We have been taught the ways of magic, meow!" a new voice said.

Out of nowhere, a large rope wrapped itself around Lucy.

"Lucy!" Erza cried.

"Its been a while, Erzy!" a girl said, as she jumped down. She had a cat-like appearance, with brown hair, and red stripes on her face.

"Millianna?" Erza asked, her eyes wide.

"Its me!" Millianna said, as she gave a "v" sign.

"We have all be taught magic," said the large man as he emerged from a magical seal.

"Simon?" Erza said.

"I will be blunt with you," Simon said," Come with us. We do not wish to take you by force."

"Where?" Erza demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"The Tower of Heaven," Sho said with a dark look on her face. Erza froze. She tried to speak, but she found her mouth could not move.

"Once Wally arrives," Simon said, as he began to walk forward," We will return to the tower, and to Jellal."

"Je…Je… Jellal?" Erza said, as she fell down.

"Just come with us, Erzy!" Millianna said as she bent down, with a sickly sweet smile.

"Erza!" Lucy cried.

"You know," Natsu's voice said," You shouldn't send a henchman to do a job if the target is stronger than him." Everyone turned, and saw Natsu standing on a table, holding Wally by the collar in one hand.

"Wally!" Sho said, as Natsu tossed him over.

"Wally?" Erza said, as she looked at the square man. Natsu then jumped to face them. He clenched one fist.

"You four are probably part of who I was looking for," he said," Care to tell me where your superior is?"

"You want it, you'll have to…," Sho began.

"Enough!" Simon said," We need to go back now!"

"But what about Erza?"

"We'll get her later!" Simon said," We have to get Wally treatment!" Natsu then shot forward, as he charged both hands with magic.

"Natsu wait!" Erza cried, and Natsu paused briefly, but only for a moment. However, that moment gave Simon the time he needed to open the magic seal, and slip away.

"Where did they go?" Lucy asked.

"I think I know," Natsu said, as he looked around, but then looked at Erza," But first, we need to know the truth."

**Note: I hope this was satisfactory. I wasn't sure how to go into the Tower of Heaven arc, so I did my best. I am still, of course, taking ideas. The poll is still open as well, and so far the majority seems to be towards Natsu and Lucy, followed by Natsu and Erza and Natsu and Kagura**


	20. The Truth

_**The Truth**_

"You want the truth?" Erza said as she faced Natsu head on.

"Did I stutter or something?" Natsu retorted, folding his arms.

"Truth?" Lucy asked," What is he talking about?"

"Its apparent that you aren't telling us something, Scarlet," Natsu said," And its time that it changed."

"Natsu…," Gray began.

"No!" Erza interrupted," You should all know the truth about my past."

"Past?" Juvia echoed.

"Yes," Erza nodded," I'll be brief."

"No," Natsu said," Every detail counts."

"Fine then," Erza said," Let's just say it all started when I was very young."

_(Flashback)_

_A young Erza ran through the grass outside her town, as she looked over the sea. She smiled at the sight of the moon over the water. It had been a good day so far, and her mother was supposed to prepare Erza's favorite food for dinner. A butterfly floated across the field, and Erza smiled as she chased after it._

_She was suddenly broken from her thoughts, as she heard the sound of a large explosion. Erza turned, and saw that some houses in her village were on fire. She gasped, as she ran back down to the main area._

_When she got there, people were all running the opposite direction. Chasing after them, were cloaked men with swords and nets. It looked like they were all trying to catch the people who running away from them. _

_Confused, Erza just walked forward slowly, as she got closer to the fire. Soon, she just collapsed to the knees in horror. Standing in front of the fire, was a tall, thin man with a wicked grin. He had sandy hair, and pale skin, with piercing green eyes. He looked down at Erza, as his smile widened. He then held up his hand, and electricity sparked between his fingers. A bolt of white lightning then escaped from his fingertips, and blasted a house next to from Erza. The man laughed cruelly._

_Erza screamed, as she turned and try to run. The man just grinned darkly, as he held up his hand, and fired another bolt at the red-headed girl. She let out a scream, as she fell to the ground._

_(Pause Flashback)_

"And that man was a slave trader?" Natsu questioned, his expression now showing less suspicion, and more curiosity. Erza just nodded.

"To think slavery still exists?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"Unfortunately," Erza answered," And I still remember that man who captured me." She averted her eyes, as she clenched a fist.

"I remember everything," she said softly," His malicious face, that cruel laugh, and his name…."

_(Continue Flashback)_

_"My name is Lazar!" the trader said, as he stood at the bow of his ship, the captured in front of him," As of now, you are now my liability." Lazar paced in front of the people, his crew behind him. The slaves just watched in expression of pure fear and anxiety. Many of them were crying._

_"I shall be very direct, you are being taken to the Tower of Heaven," Lazar continued," There, you will be worked. And worked. And worked. When we arrive, the cult will give me my payment, which is what they are giving me in exchange for capturing all of you. Because of that, if any of you get injured, my pay gets deducted some amount. That said…." Lazar held up one hand, and the white electricity crackled through it._

_"I would hate to have to punish any of you," he then said with a dark grin. Erza just watched in silent fear, she was also crying slightly. Most people seemed to be reacting like that. Except for one._

"That was when I first saw him…"

_A young, blue haired boy let out a yell, as he ran at Lazar. The slave trader briefly had time to look behind him, before the boy was on top of him, grabbing at his waist. Lazar just rolled his eyes, as he flicked the boy off him. However, his knife belt also fell off. The boy then grabbed a knife. On a whim, Erza ran forward, and grabbed one as well. Within the course of a few moments, another four children grabbed a knife, and jumped up._

_Lazar let out a painful cry, as he fell to the ground, grabbing at his face, where his left eye would be. Blood was trickling through his fingers._

_(Pause Flashback)_

"You cut out one of his eyes?" Lucy said, as she covered her mouth. Juvia and Gray just stared, but Natsu still seemed to be calm.

"The six of us," Erza answered," We nearly started a full blown riot. But we underestimated Lazar."

_(Continue Flashback)_

_The captured people were now attacking the ship crew. While the crew members had weapons, it wasn't doing much good against the sheer numbers of the people._

_"You brats!" Lazar suddenly roared, as he weakly held up the hand that wasn't covering his face. The white lightning then shot from his hands, and encompassed the entire ship, striking all the people, even Lazar's own men who were unfortunate enough to be there. This quickly ended the uprising._

_"You have made… a terrible… mistake," Lazar said, as his men hoisted him up by his arms. He was then dragged into one of the cabinets of the ships._

_(Pause Flashback)_

"I imagine he was mad?" Gray asked sarcastically.

"More than you can imagine," Erza answered," I don't know how much he succeeded in doing it, but I heard he went out of his way just to make our time there especially miserable."

"Where did you guys go?" Natsu questioned, listening intently.

"A place known as the Tower of Heaven," Erza explained," It was created by a Black Magic cult centered on worshipping the legendary dark mage, Zeref." This made Natsu think.

"Were there any seals?" he asked.

"I never paid attention," Erza answered," The only thing I remembered was the guards constantly talking about a seal, and some being only referred to as the 'Cursed One'."

"The 'Cursed One'?" Juvia asked," Who was that?"

"I don't know, but at the time I didn't care."

_(Continue Flashback)_

_Erza panted, as she trudged up the corridor, carrying a load of rocks on her back. Standing next to her, was a young Millianna, also carrying rocks on her back. The younger girl suddenly collapsed._

"During our time there, we had no one. But somehow, we formed bonds within those cells, and with those chains."

_"Millianna!" Erza cried as she bent down to her," You have to get up!" But before Millianna could, a couple of the guards, with their guard animals stormed over. The guards were intimidating looking, with the masks that only covered the upper part of their face._

_"On your feet!" one of them ordered. Millianna struggled to get up, but she barely could._

_"I said on your feet!" the guard said, as he held up his staff to torture her._

_"Wait!" a voice said, as the young blue haired boy ran up, and held up his arms in front of the guard._

_"Out of my way, boy!" the guard ordered._

_"Please!" the boy said," I'll carry the rocks!"_

"And the leader, was Jellal."

_Later, in the cell that the group shared, along with a couple others, Millianna was crying._

_"Why?" she cried. An elderly man tussled her hair._

_"Do not cry, Millianna," he said," It is over for the day."_

_"But we start tomorrow again, Rob!" Millianna said. Rob just smiled a sad smile._

_"Just keep hope alive," he said._

_"There is no hope!" Erza said from her position, in the corner," We will always be slaves!" The others just stared at her. Jellal sat next to her._

_"Don't worry," he said," We're here for you."_

_"That's not enough," Erza said, as she buried her face in her legs._

_Meanwhile, Wally walked over to Rob, and sat next to him._

_"Grandpa Rob," he said," What is that symbol on your back?" Rob smiled as he looked over his shoulder._

_"This is the symbol of Fairy Tail," he answered._

_"Fairy Tail?" Simon asked from his feet._

_"Its a magic guild," Rob explained," Its a place where people with magic go to help others."_

_"So not all magic is used for bad?" Millianna asked. Rob shook his head._

_"I would be more surprised if all magic wasn't used for good," he said. Throughout this, Erza was listening closely._

"But there was one time, when everything went awry. And it set the system of events into place."

_One day, as the group was slaving away, Sho leaned over to Jellal and the others._

_"Hey, I think I got an escape plan," he whispered. The others turned to him quickly._

_"Are you crazy?" Simon hissed through gritted teeth._

_"We can't get out of here!" Wally said," And what about the others?"_

_"Just trust me," Sho said," Just follow my lead."_

_With that, he threw his pickaxe into a chasm below._

_"What was that?" the guard said as he looked over to the area._

_"I'm sorry!" Sho said, as he hurried to the chasm," But I dropped my tool!" The guard grimaced, and growled._

_"Fine," he said," I'll get you a new one, but you are getting a few lashes for this." With that, he turned to walk away. Suddenly, he got a rock in the back of the head, knocking him down, and unconscious._

_"Let's go!" Sho said, as he got running towards the exit. His group hesitantly followed._

_The six of them hid behind a corner, as a pair of guards walked past them._

_"Stay quiet!" Jellal said to them. The guards walked on, as the group then ran again._

_"Where do you think you are going?" a menacing voice said. The six froze, and saw the two heads of the project standing over them. One of them was skinny, while the other was rather fat. Standing behind them were a group of guards. One of which was the one Sho threw the rock at._

_"You little brats!" the fat guy said as he walked forward, holding up his staff._

_"Now! Now!" the skinny guy said," In any other situation I'd do it myself, but we can't delay the R Project. That said, we'll punish one of you." His face the contorted into an evil grin._

_"Harshly," was all he said. He looked around, before pointing._

_"Her."_

_(Pause Flashback)_

"What did they do to you?" Lucy asked. Erza actually sat down, as she touched the right side of my face. The other mages seemed to understand.

"You mean they…," Juvia said in horror.

"My right eye is artificial," Erza explained," I suspect Lazar had something to do with it. But it was what happened after that really made a difference."

_(Continue Flashback)_

_"Erza!" Jellal said as the guards let him in. He ran towards the chained up girl, who was unconscious._

_"Consider yourselves lucky that the masters are letting you off easy," one of the guards sneered, as Jellal unchained Erza," Now back to your cell!"_

_After they had returned to their cell. The others hurried over._

_"Sister!" Sho said, tears in his eyes," I'm so sorry." Erza weakly looked up to Sho, and smiled the best she could._

_"Its not your fault Sho," she said softly._

_"Erza is right," Simon said, putting a hand on Sho's shoulder. Jellal clenched his fists._

_"How much longer…," he said, before he screamed," HOW MUCH LONGER DOES THIS HAVE TO GO ON?"_

"It was then as if some greater power heard him, as right after he said that, it began."

_There were sudden screams from the guards in the back. Several people moved to the front of the cells to see what was going on. They saw multiple guards running away in terror, but out of nowhere, white fire consumed them._

_"White fire?" Rob asked," Even I have never seen that before!"_

_From the fire, a figure came. The figure seemed male, and was very tall. He had a white helmet that resembled crystals, and a black vizor over it. He was wearing a black and white suit of amor, with pieces that covered the vital areas, his lower arms, his legs, and shoulders, leaving his waist and neck uncovered. One of the guards fell to the ground, as the man stood over him._

_"Please," the guard said," Have mercy!" The armored man simply held up his hand._

_"No."_

_With that, white fire spewed from his hands, and consumed the guard completely. The man then turned to the cells. The prisoners all recoiled in terror. The man then took a deep breath, before waving his hands through the air, and a curtain of white fire went through the entire prison area. Suddenly, all the bars of all the cells melted area. The man then waved his hand again, and the chains undid themselves._

_"If you want freedom," the man said," Follow me."_

_Soon, every slave in the Tower of Heaven was rising in revolt, and their liberator was spearheading it._

_Erza and Jellal were near the front, both of them with a weapon. Erza's missing eye was now covered with an eye patch._

_"We will be free!" Erza and Jellal cried in unison. And everyone roared in response._

_The guards, and even the mages, try as they might, could not suppress the rebellion. The guards were overtaken by the slaves, and all the mages were taken out by the mage who used white fire._

_"Erza, follow me!" Jellal said, as he ran in a different direction. Erza followed closely. When they got there, they saw something they never would have wanted to see: Rob on the ground, with a spear in his back._

_"Grandpa Rob!" the two children cried in unison. The old man smiled at the two children as they ran up._

_"What are you brats doing?" he asked weakly as he coughed up some blood," You should be with the others."_

_"We can't leave you!" Jellal said._

_"You don't have a choice," Rob answered with a smile," I'm an old man, but you are both children. Your future lies ahead of you, and you need to claim it." Erza cried with her one eye, as Jellal cried with both._

_"I want you to find Fairy Tail," Rob said," For… me…." With that, his eyes closed._

_"ROB!" Erza cried. Jellal let out a wordless cry, as he turned to face the approaching guards. He let out a battle cry as he charged towards them. But one of the guard animals launched itself at Jellal, knocking into a large chasm._

_"JELLAL!" Erza screamed, as her best friend fell into oblivion. The guards continued to rush her, but Erza stayed still. She then turned to the guards, and let out a great cry. Dozens of swords then appeared in the air, and zeroed in on the guards._

_"That's magic!" one of them said, before he and the others were cut down. Erza slowly stood, still crying, as she clenched her fists and charged after the others._

_After some wandering, she eventually got outside, and just in time, as she saw the masked man and the others getting the boats ready._

_"Come on!" the man yelled Erza. Erza quickly ran, but a bolt of lighting stopped. She turned, and to her horror, Lazar was standing a rock overhead. The left half of his face was covered with bandages. He smiled cruelly._

_"Seems we're almost even," he said," But not yet!" With that, he charged another bolt of white lightning, but when he shot it, the masked man jumped in front of Erza, and created a wall of white fire. The force knocked his helmet off, and Erza saw his face for the first time. He had closely cropped hair, a narrow face, and when he turned, Erza saw blue eyes._

_"Run," he said," And never get captured again." With that, he let out a battle cry, and his body was consumed in white fire, and he launched himself at Lazar, whose body was consumed with white lightning._

_(Pause Flashback)_

"Wow, so that one guy freed you all?" Lucy said. Erza nodded.

"What about Jellal?" Gray asked.

"That is where it ends."

_(Continue Flashback)_

_Erza watched from the boat, as the distance from the island grew. There were explosions all over, as the two mages dueled each other._

_"Erza," a voice she never expected to hear again said. Erza whirled around, and saw Jellal._

_"Je…Jellal?" she asked. Jellal smiled, but it wasn't the warm smile he normally had. In fact, it was anything but._

_"So you managed to get to the boat to?" he asked, though it almost seemed like a tone of disappointment. Erza nodded slowly. Jellal grinned darkly, as he patted her on the shoulder, and walked away._

_"See you later," he said," Maybe next time we meet, we will be free."_

_(End Flashback)_

"I didn't know what he meant, and I still don't," Erza explained," But if he has truly come back…"

"I think he is the man I was looking for," Natsu said," He fits the profile."

"But what could he be doing?" Happy asked.

"We will have to find out," Natsu said, holding up a fist.

"I think I know where they went, we should get a boat," Erza said.

"Too slow," Natsu said," I will take us there."

"Can you carry all of us with your Chaos Dragon Flight?" Lucy asked.

"Of course not," Natsu answered," I couldn't carry you."

"Why did you focus on me?" Lucy asked with a sad face.

"Why do you want us to come with you?" Gray questioned, folding his arms," You always go solo."

"I do, and I am," Natsu said," You four are only coming because I need some people to stand guard. This technique takes up a lot of magic, which I will need to replenish."

"Why else?" Gray snorted.

"Form a circle around me," Natsu instructed. The four humans, the cat did. Natsu then waved his hands through the air, as he began to glow.

"Apocalypse Technique," he said softly," Rapture!" With that, the group was consumed in a beam of light, which took the sky. It flew through, before landing on an island. An island, that had a tower that was all too familiar to Erza.

**(in the Tower)**

"Master Jellal," a man dressed in orange robes said as he walked forward," Five people have arrived." The man on the throne smiled.

"Good," he said, as he held up a chess piece," Erza and I might meet again after all."

**Note: Sorry people for this chapter being a flashback in total, but I knew I had to do this. I hope you were all satisfied, since this chapter wasn't easy. In regards to the pairing, something I worried about is I might lose readers who are in support of one pairing, if I do another. I hope that doesn't happen.**

**Seems like some interesting things have come up. White lighting and white fire, and a new being just called the "Cursed One". Who could it be?**

**Still taking ideas**


	21. Tower of Heaven

_**The Tower of Heaven**_

"What the hell was that?" Gray asked, as he stumbled in place briefly.

"My Rapture technique," Natsu explained, as he fell to one knee," Its what I use whenever I need to travel somewhere fast." The group then all looked up.

"The Tower of Heaven," Erza murmured. "Heaven" seemed like a misnomer, as the design of the tower looked more out of something from Hell. It was very tall, seeming to reach al the way to the sky, and it looked like a branch with thorns coming out of it.

"Its… amazing," Lucy murmured," And yet… terrifying."

"We have no time to waste," Natsu said. After he finished talking, began to pant, before sitting down in lotus position.

"What are you doing?" Happy asked.

"That spell required a large amount of my magic," Natsu explained," I must replenish it."

"Can't you do that on the way?" Gray asked, folding his arms.

"I would be dead weigh if I went with you now," Natsu answered.

"You're dead weight anyway," Gray muttered under his breath. However, Natsu either didn't hear him, or didn't care. Considering how good his hearing was, it was probably the latter.

"Fine," Erza said," Then you'll just have to catch up later." Natsu nodded, before closing his eyes, and looking like he was meditating.

"How are we going to get in?" Lucy asked, looking up at the imposing tower.

"Juvia has an idea," Juvia said,"She can perhaps find us an underwater entrance, and take us there in her Water Lock."

"That will have to do," Erza said," So do it." Juvia nodded, as she gathered up an orb of water, surrounding the group, including Happy. Lucy turned back to Natsu, and sighed.

"Be safe," she said. With that, the orb descended into the water. Right after it did, Natsu's necklace began to glow.

**(with Jellal's Team)**

"I can't believe I let that little punk get the drop on me!" Wally said as Millianna bandaged him up," It was not dandy!" The four former slaves had assembled in the medical ward of the tower, though using the term "medical" was a nice way of putting it.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Simon said," You could not have guessed that he was the Chaos Dragon Slayer."

"It doesn't matter," Sho said," Jellal wants us to get Erza. He needs her for the sacrifice." The others agreed, save for Simon, who just adverted his eye, and clenched one fist.

**(back with the others)**

Eventually the Fairy Tail mages emerged into some kind of a basement.

"This must be beneath the tower," Juvia said as she looked around.

"Jellal would probably be at the top," Erza said, as she looked up towards said location.

"Then we should go there," Gray said, as he cracked his knuckles.

Suddenly, Erza began running towards the entrance.

"Erza!" Lucy called," Where are you going?"

"This my fight fight with Jellal!" Erza said, as she stopped, and looked back," I have to finish this!" With that, she ran through the door, and into the main part of the tower.

"Erza, wait!" Lucy called, but the red head was gone.

"Well, nothing we can do but go after her," Gray said, as the others soon ran after Erza.

**(with Erza)**

_I'm sorry, but I started this_ Erza thought to herself as she kept running.

As she was running, a card suddenly flew the air. Erza managed to see it coming, and she slashed it in two.

"Jellal told me you used re-quip magic," Sho said as he emerged from the shadows.

"Sho!" Erza said.

"I've been waiting a while for this, sister," Sho said as he held up his cards.

**(with the others)**

"Where did she go?" Lucy asked as she, Juvia, and Gray ran down the hall. Happy flew over him. They were having little luck finding Erza, since the tunnel that lead out of the basement branched off into other tunnels, and they couldn't find Erza anywhere.

"She's got to be around here somewhere," Gray said," We should…"

"Split up?" a voice said. The group looked down the hall, and saw Wally strolling towards him.

"What a dandy way to go about," he said with a smirk, and a tip of his hat.

"You're that guy Natsu beat up!" Lucy said. Wally then slouched, and went into the side of the wall. A haze hung over him.

"Is that what I've been reduced to?" he said miserably," Just the guy he beat up?"

"Pull yourself together Wally," Millianna said as she dropped down," We have important things to do! Meow!"

**(with Jellal)**

Jellal smirked as he moved a couple figures on the chessboard.

"Let's see how this will progress," he mused to himself.

"Shall we assist them?" a gravely voice asked. The blue haired teen looked up, and saw three hooded figures standing in front of his throne. Jellal shook his head.

"Not yet," he answered," Let's see how the others progress."

**(with the others)**

"Polygon Gun!" Wally said, as his arms turned into guns, and fired magical blasts. Gray and Lucy got out of the way, while the attacks went straight through Juvia's water body.

"Water Slicer!" Juvia said, as she shot several blades of water at Wally. However, the square man managed to get out of the way by turning into multiple cubes.

"That was a dandy try," Wally said, smiling," But it won't be enough."

"Then try this!" Gray said," Ice Make: Lance!" With that, he launched several ice spears at Wally, who blew them away with his magic guns.

Meanwhile, Lucy held up one her keys.

"Open, Gate of the Goat: Capricorn!" she said. From the light, came the goat spirit, Capricorn.

"What can I do, Madame Lucy?" Capricorn said.

"Just help someway!" Lucy said, pointing at Millianna, who for the time, was watching Wally fight Juvia and Gray.

"Very well," Capricorn said, as he launched himself at Millianna. The cat girl just barely managed to notice the attack coming.

"MEOW!" she cried as she jumped out of the way of Capricorn's kick," That was mean!"

"Nothing personal!" Lucy called. Capricorn then attempted an uppercut. Millianna managed to move out of the way of that.

"I apologize Madame Cat Lady," Capricorn said," But I moist fulfill my duty as Madame Lucy's spirit." With that, the humanoid goat launched himself at Millianna again.

"Take this!" she then countered, as a seal appeared in front of her. A long rope then came out of it, catching Capricorn off guard, and wrapping around him. The goat-man let out a grunt as he fell down.

"Capricorn!" Lucy cried.

"I am sorry, Madame Lucy," Capricorn said," But I cannot use my magic like this. I must go." With, that he faded away. Lucy glared at Millianna, who just smiled.

"Don't give me that look," she said," Its nothing personal."

**(with Erza)**

Erza slashed away another card Sho shot at her. The blonde held up one card that had the image of a lion in it. A lion then appeared in the air, and pounced at Erza. Erza managed to kick it away, and the lion vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Why are you doing this?" Erza cried as she blocked another attack from a card.

"Cause you abandoned us!" Sho yelled. He held up a card that had the image of a wyvern on it. The wyvern then appeared, but Erza cut it vertically.

"I don't know who told you that, but that person was lying!" Erza said," I never abandoned you guys!"

"You're the one who's lying!" Sho yelled.

"Who told you that?" Erza demanded.

"Jellal! And unlike you, he has always been there for us!" Sho insisted, as he threw another several cards at Erza. Erza cut most of them down, but one of them nicked her on the arm. She grunted in pain, as she grabbed the cut.

"That's not true!" she insisted," He must have been lying!"

"Jellal never lies!" Sho screamed. It was then that Erza noticed that he was crying. Tears were streaming down his face, and his chin was quivering.

"We will pay you back for abandoning us!" Sho cried, as he shot all his cards at Erza.

**Note: I would have wanted this to be longer, but I decided against it, since if I went with my original plan, it would be too much for one chapter. In regards to the pairing, I don't know if I can make it a harem, but I am still worried about losing readers if I do one pairing. While the poll is tied right now between Erza and Lucy, most of my reviewers seem to want Natsu and Erza. I still don't know what to do.**

**So it seems like there might be more to Natsu's necklace than it appears.**

**I am always taking ideas for future chapters**


	22. TriBlade

_**Tri-Blade**_

Erza got ready to block the cards, but then out of nowhere, Simon dropped down. He held up his arms, and let the cards slice across him, giving him several cuts.

"Simon!" Erza and Sho yelled in union. The turban-wearing man fell to one knee, panting.

"What are you doing?!" Sho yelled.

"This is wrong!" Simon said as he stood back up, in a strong stance," Jellal has been lying to us!"

"That's not true!" Sho cried, a tears continued to stream down his face," It… can't be…." In his tears, he fell to his knees. Erza took a breath, as she dropped her sword down, and walked over to Sho.

"Oh Sho," she said, as she knelt down. Erza then wrapped her arms around Sho. This caught the blonde off guard.

"Do you remember Lazar?" Erza asked softly," How the six of us took his eye?" Sho just weakly nodded.

"Jellal might have been our leader at time time," Erza explained," But that was before the masked man freed us. I looked for all of you for a long time, but to no avail. However, I did finally managed to find Jellal. But he was… different…"

"He was lost to the darkness," Simon said.

"For so long, I wanted to be reunited with you, Simon, Wally, Millianna, and Jellal," Erza explained softly," But I was banished…. by Jellal." Sho's tear stricken eyes widened.

"But…," he stuttered.

"Its true," Simon said with a nod, as he laid a hand on Sho's shoulder.

It was then that Sho just couldn't take it anymore. He burst out sobbing, as he threw his arms around Erza, who held him close.

**(with Lucy, Gray, and Juvia)**

Lucy managed to jump out of the way of another lash from Millianna's cat whip.

"Meow!" Millianna said," You can't run forever!" Lucy cringed, knowing she was right. She suddenly tripped, and fell to the ground. Millianna saw the chance, and pounced on it.

"Meow!" she cried, as a large Cat Tube came down towards Lucy. The blonde let out a scream, as she grabbed the first thing she could find to defend herself. As fate would have it, the first thing she found was Happy.

"Lucy, what are you…," Happy started to scream as he frantically squirmed in Lucy's grip, but he stopped, when the attack also stopped. This caught both the girl and the cat off-guard. Millianna was just staring at Happy, before crying out.

"Oh, how can I hurt an innocent little kitty?!" she cried.

Lucy blinked, before a smile crept onto her lips.

"Uh, Lucy?" Happy asked nervously.

"You'll thank me for this later!" Lucy said, as she pulled out her keys. But there wasn't much she could do, since her Celestial Spirits couldn't….

"Why didn't I think of this before?!" Lucy suddenly screamed. This made the cat girl and the cat blink in surprise. Lucy then held up one of her keys.

"Open, Gate of the Crab: Cancer!" Lucy said, as she held up the key. When the light faded, it showed a man with crab features, carrying a pair of scissors.

"What can I do, shrimp?" Cancer questioned as he took a pose.

"Can you please deal with her?" Lucy asked, pointing.

"Sure thing, shrimp," Cancer said, as he launched himself at Millianna.

"It will take more than that, meow!" she said, as she launched the rope at Cancer. Unfortunately for Millianna, Cancer only cut through it like it was nothing, much to her dismay.

"It will take more than THAT to take down Cancer!" Lucy said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Gray and Juvia were fighting against Wally. The square man turned his lower body into a stream of blocks, which formed around Gray.

"Block Barrage!" Wally said, as the blocks all then pelted down towards Gray. Juvia swooped into the scene, and washed Gray to safety.

"Ice Make: Rifle!" Gray said, as an ice gun appeared around his arm, and launched a blast of ice.

"Polygon Rifle!" Wally said, as his arm turned into its own gun, and fired a magical blast. The two attacks overtook each other, and when the dust cleared, Juvia launched down at Wally.

"Water Whip!" she said, as she formed a whip out of water. Wally split his body in half with his block powers, before forming a single large block over Juvia, which crushed down.

"Juvia!" Gray cried. Fortunately, the Water Mage emerged from beneath the cube in a puddle of water.

"Gray was worried about me!" she swooned.

"Flirting during a battle isn't dandy!" Wally said, as he turned both his hands into Polygon Rifles and fired. The first blast went right through Juvia, while Gray created an Ice Shield to block the worst of the attack. However, the shockwave itself still pushed him back.

During that, Millianna was having very little luck against Lucy and Cancer. Every Cat Tube she thrust at the time, the Crab just cut down.

"Using such moves against me is pointless, shrimp," Cancer mused, as he cut through another couple tubes. A tick mark appeared on Millianna's head.

"Take this, meow!" she yelled, as several enormous tubes appeared from above her. However, Lucy held up Happy, who had since gotten used to it, and had resigned himself to being a feline shield. This made Millianna stop her attack again. Lucy grinned, as she gestured for Cancer to do his work. But before he could, the tubes suddenly disappeared. As they did Millianna and Wally both froze.

_"Cease your battles!"_ Simon's voice said in their heads.

"What are you talking about, Simon?" Wally said," We're stopping now?"

_"There is no point in fighting them now,"_ Simon said_," We need to stop Jellal."_

"Are you crazy?" Millianna demanded.

_"I'll explain later,"_ Simon said_," Just come to where I am!" _ With that, he ended the connection.

"This isn't dandy!" Wally said, as he reformed his body of cubes.

"Meow!" Millianna said," I can't believe we're doing this!" With that, the two of them ran away, much to the Fairy Tail trio's surprise.

**(at the Magic Council)**

At the headquarters, the Magic Council was tense. Important, often threatening, discussions are not out of the normal in the room, but this seemed to be something special. It concerned the Tower of Heaven.

"The issue with Jellal Fernandes, and the R Project is becoming increasingly dangerous," the leader, Guran Doma said, as he banged his staff on the seal there were standing on," We must act now."

"What do you propose we do?" Ultear, a young woman with long black hair, questioned, as she folded her arms.

"We must perform a decisive strike on the Tower," Org said," I recommend that we send more troops to attack."

"While that would generally be a good idea under different circumstances," Yajima said," We did try that, and the attempt failed miserably."

"Then what else is there to do?" Doma questioned, as he narrowed his eyes.

"I think the answer is fairly obvious," a fifth voice said. Everyone in the Council turned to one young man standing on the seal.

"And what would that be, Siegrain?" Org questioned. The young man looked up, revealing the face of Jellal.

"We must use the Etherion."

**(with Erza and co.)**

"So that's the truth?" Wally asked. Simon just nodded. Millianna and Wally had managed to find the others, and had finally heard the truth behind both Erza, and Jellal.

"To think we all fell for that," Millianna said, looking down. Erza put a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault," she said," So don't beat yourselves up. The first thing we need to do is stop Jellal!"

"It won't be easy," Simon said," He hired a group known as Tri-Blade to protect the project."

"Tri-Blade?" Erza asked.

"A band of mercenaries," Simon answered," All three are mages."

"Well, whoever they are, we'll take them down!" Erza declared," Now where's Jellal?"

"Follow me, sister!" Sho said as he gestured.

"And while you're doing that, Wally, Millianna, and myself will help your guildmates," Simon said," But Erza, I should warn you."

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"You know those seals that the cult used?"

"The ones about that thing they called the 'Cursed One'?" Erza responded," What about them?"

"Jellal doesn't have them," Simon said slowly," He got rid of them for some reason."

"So?" Erza asked," Probably just some old legend, now let's go!" With that, she and Sho ran down one hall.

"Not so much a legend if even a cult like that feared it," Simon mused more to himself.

**(with Jellal)**

Jellal snickered cruelly.

"So, I've been betrayed?" he said, before calmly shrugging" Oh well. Gives me an excuse for a good game." He then looked up, and snapped his fingers. From the shadows, three men emerged.

"It is time you all did your duty, Tri-Blade members," Jellal said with a smile. The men emerged from the shadows.

"XingLong!" Jellal said, as he looked at the first one. Standing there, was a tall man with a shaved head, and orange Shaolin robes. He sighed.

"More needless violence," he said.

"Zephyr!" Standing on the left, was a man with combed black hair, a cleanly shaven face, and a formal black suit.

"This will certainly be entertaining," he said with a smile.

"Geier!" In the middle, was a man who was hunched over. He was wearing a black cloak, and his head was bald, with sporadic climbs of hair, with a large, hooked nose, making him resemble a vulture.

"As long as they supply me a good meal, I don't care who they are," he said calmly.

"I want you all to finish them," Jellal said," But spare the girl with red hair."

"You have our word, Lord Jellal," Geier said. With that, Zephyr held up his hand, and a glowing orb appeared around the members of Tri-Blade, before collapsing into itself, and vanishing.

Jellal smiled, as he set three new chess pieces on the board.

"This will only lead to good things," he said.

**Note: Sorry this took longer than normal. 350 reviews is something I'm very proud of though. Currently, my fans are split almost down the middle between Erza and Lucy, so that is what the pairing has come down to. I see benefits in the story by using either of them, and both sides have made good points, so again, its hard to decide. Always taking ideas. And just breaking the ice: Fairy Tail is not mine. Something I'm bringing up, is that I would like an actual form of a cover to serve as the story's profile picture, so if anyone can draw good enough, I am happy to view what they've made. It has to include the title for starters, but aside from that, I'm going to be lenient. PM me if you have anything please.**

**So what sorts of magic do the members of Tri-Blade have? And it seems that Jellal did not factor in what the Dark Cult feared**


	23. Waves

_**Waves**_

"What are we supposed to do now?" Lucy asked as she, Juvia, and Gray ran down the hall, in the same direction that Wally and Millianna ran. Happy was flying overhead.

"I don't know," Gray asked," I think we should just try and find them."

"But where could they be?" Juvia asked.

"I don't know," was all Gray could say.

Eventually, the three of them wandered into some kind of room, it had a large tunnel in one wall, with another smaller hallway breaking off.

"What sort of room is this?" Lucy asked.

"It is a crossroad through different halls," an unknown voice spoke up. The three of them looked around, not seeing anyone. Suddenly though, a man appeared, literally, out of thin air. The man was tall, and lean. He had a shaved head, and wore an orange robe with a black sash around his waist.

"Who the hell are you?" Gray asked, as he and the girls took a fighting pose. Happy just hid behind Gray. The orange-clad individual pressed his hands together as if in prayer, and bowed briefly.

"Greetings," he said in a very polite tone," I am XingLong, of the Tri-Blades."

"Tri-Blades?" Lucy asked.

"Indeed," XingLong answered with a nod," We have been assigned by Lord Jellal to protect this temple."

"Why do you protect a guy like that?" Gray demanded.

"In order to be free of suffering, one must sever themselves from cravings," was all XingLong said, which left the three Fairy Tail mages and the cat to ponder what it meant. XingLong took a breath, as he folded his arms in his sleeves.

"I apologize, my friends," he said," But I cannot let you pass."

"We're going through," Gray declared," We must protect our friends."

"Understandable," XingLong said," But my last intention is to cause you or your comrades harm. However, if you decide to try and make your way past me, I will have no choice but to force you away." He then took a battle position, which resembled a kung fu stance.

"We can't waste our time with this guy," Gray said," We have to find Erza."

"I'll handle this guy," Lucy said, as she stepped forward, reaching for her key chain.

"Are you sure?" Gray asked.

"I might not be able to beat him, but I can hold him long enough for you guys to get away."

"Alright then," Gray said," Juvia, help her."

"But Juvia wants to go with her prince," Juvia insisted, as she grabbed Gray's arm and cuddled it. Gray managed to wrench his arm free of the blue-haired girl's vice grip.

"Lucy could use all the help she could get against him," he said.

"Gee thanks," Lucy muttered with a sweat drop. With that, Gray ran down the hallway.

"Good luck!" Happy called, as he flew after Gray. With that, the two girls turned to face XingLong.

"It is not in my nature to harm people, much less women," he said, as he looked at the two directly in their eyes. Juvia held up her hand.

"I wish to rejoin my Prince," she said," I will end this very quickly. Water Slam!" With that, a large stream of water shot out of her hand, towards XingLong. In response, the robed man anchored his feet in the ground, and looked like he was grabbing the air. He then swung his arms, as if pulling the air. The water then suddenly altered its course, and slammed into the wall.

"What the….," Juvia stuttered in shock.

"Juvia, I thought you were aiming for him!" Lucy said.

"I am!"

Lucy cringed, as she held up one of her keys.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!" With that, the pink-haired maid appeared, and put a hand over her chest.

"What can I do, Princess?" she asked.

"Can you deal with him?" Lucy asked.

"Is it a punishment?" Virgo asked.

"Uh…. no," Lucy answered with a sweat drop.

"Later then?" Virgo said, as she jumped at XingLong. Lucy noticed how Virgo said the exact same thing.

The Celestial Spirit jumped into the air, and thrust her foot down, looking like she was intending to kick him the face. XingLong just closed his eyes, and quickly waved his hand. This sent Virgo off course, causing her to fly into a wall. The pink-haired spirit rose out of the rubble.

"I suppose that constitutes as punishment?" she asked in a calm tone.

XingLong sighed, as he pressed his hands together and took a breath, before opening in his eyes at the girls.

"I am afraid it will take far more than that to harm me," he said, as he then folded his arms behind his back.

**(with Jellal)**

Jellal set a chess piece that resembled a monk in front of two pieces that looked like a water jug and another piece of a young woman.

"So, the Monk is fighting the Spirit Mistress and the Rain Woman," he mused with a smile," How interesting."

**(at the Magic Council)**

"I don't think the reasons hold that much credence," Yajima insisted," The use of the Etherion Cannon is unnecessary, and premature."

"Still," Siegrain responded," If the Tower of Heaven is to be completed, and Zeref allowed to be revived, then the longterm effects could be worse."

"Siegrain is right," Ultear said with a nod," We can't take such risks."

"But what of the many innocent people enslaved in that hellhole?" one council member asked.

"We would be doing them a favor by freeing them from this," Siegrain explained.

**(with Natsu)**

At the base of the Tower of Heaven, Natsu took a breath as he stood put. He fingered his necklace slightly.

"Never fails," he said to himself, as he looked up, and then sprung into the air.

**(with Lucy and Juvia)**

The two girls were having no luck against XingLong. Every attack they threw at him, the robed man just deflected. So far, XingLong didn't have a single scratch on his body.

"I really must insist that you retreat," he said, with a displeased face," I truly do not want to hurt any of you." Juvia let out a yell, as she launched another water blast at XingLong. XingLong took a breath as he held up his hands, he then waved his hands through the air, causing the water go to off course. He then waved his hands again, sending the water wave at Lucy. Before, the blonde could get away, the water slammed into her, knocking her back.

Virgo was still there, as she jumped out of the ground and punched towards XingLong. The bald man lifted one hand through the air, causing her to fly into the air. She landed on the ground, and turned to Lucy, who was getting up, soaked to the bone.

"Princess, it is apparent that I am having no success in this," Virgo said," I will return now." With that, she disappeared.

"We're not making any progress," Lucy said.

"I am quite aware of that," Juvia said, with her hand on one hip. XingLong folded his arms back into his sleeves, and looked at the girls carefully.

"Again, I must try and convince you to leave," he said," As you have just stated, your magic is not doing anything against me."

"My Prince set me here to help!" Juvia cried, as water waved around her," I must defeat you! Water Slicer!" With that, she let out a series of water blades. XingLong waved his hands rapidly through the air, and all the slicers flew out of targeting range, and into the wall.

"Again, I am very sorry," XingLong said slowly, as he held up one of his hands. He then held up his other hand next to the one that was already raised, and swiped it away. Juvia let out a cry, as a blow hit her in the side, much to the girls' surprise.

"What sort of magic is that?" Lucy asked, as she touched her keys.

"Since I have harmed you, I suppose I do owe you an explanation," XingLong said," All three members of the Tri-Blades have a specific kind of magic, but we all have a certain way we fight." He then held up one finger, and spun it around.

"We twist one's magic against themselves," he explained.

"Against them?" Lucy echoed.

"Indeed," XingLong explained," And my magic, is Wave Magic."

"Wave Magic?" Juvia asked," What's that?"

"Let me explain," XingLong said, as he held up both hands," Magic comes in waves, and gives off waves. All I am basically doing, is controlling those waves."

"So that's how you managed to repel all our attacks?" Juvia said, clenching one fist.

"Indeed, that is how I do it," XingLong answered," As you launch your water attacks, I am manipulating the waves around the water, causing the attacks to be deflected. I am then manipulating the waves so that they go into a different directions."

"Then how did you manage to hit Juvia?" Lucy asked.

"You see, Wave Magic does more than just let me control the way the waves go," XingLong said, as glowing black energy appeared in one hand, and white energy in the other," I am able to harness them as well. That is how I hit her water body, I am using the waves to strike her very body."

With that, he held out both of his hands, and a magic seal with the Yin and Yang symbol in the middle appeared in front of him.

"Yin Blast," he said. Blasts of energy then erupted around Lucy and Juvia, striking them. Lucy grabbed one her keys. _I know just how to take this!_ she thought.

"Open, Gate of the Lion: Leo!" she said, as the key glowed, but XingLong just pointed at the magic seal, and the seal cancelled out.

"What the…," Lucy cried," How did you stop me?" XingLong took a breath, as he folded his hands behind his back.

"All the suffering, its horrible," he mused.

**(with Gray)**

Gray continued to run down the hall, looking for Erza. Happy was flying over him.

"We're could she be?" he asked himself.

"Fullbuster!" a familiar voice called. Gray looked up, and saw Simon, Wally, and Millianna running towards him.

"You!" he yelled, as he took his Ice Make position. Happy yelped, as he hid behind him.

"Relax, we aren't here to fight!" Simon said," We're here to help!"

"Sure, that's what they all say!" Gray said," What reason do I have to trust you?"

"What do you have to lose?" Simon said firmly. Gray paused, before taking a breath, knowing he was right.

"Where are the others?" Simon asked.

"I don't know where Natsu is, and the girls are fighting some kind of bald guy," Gray answered.

"They must be fighting XingLong, meow!" Millianna said," I'll help them!" With that, she ran down the same direction Gray came from.

"We're going with you!" Wally aid," We know where to find Jellal and Erza!"

Unknown to them, through a special void, a suited man watched them. He grinned darkly.

"Which leads right to me."

**Note: I wasn't sure how to end it, so I did my best. **

**In regards to the pairing, someone brought up how some people might just be writing reviews in different names, and while that is quite a possibility, even so, the readers are still divided between Erza and Lucy. Both have made great points, and I'm still worried that I'll lose readers.**

**I could really use suggestions for the next couple of chapters. **


	24. Unison Raid

_**Unison Raid**_

XingLong calmly watched Lucy and Juvia stand up. They were considerably injured, but XingLong was completely unscathed. He sighed, and shook his head.

"Why do you continue to prolong your suffering?" he asked," It will not stop in doing this. You must learn to let go of these cravings for victory." Lucy then let out a yell, as she got out her whip, and lashed at XingLong. The man just shook his head with another sigh, as he waved his hand up, deflecting the whip. He then flicked his wrist, causing the whip to lash back at Lucy. The blonde let out a cry as the whip hit her.

"Water Pulse!" Juvia said, as she held up her hands, and her magic seal appeared before. XingLong shook his head slightly, as he pointed at the seal.

"Yang Point," he spoke. The seal then vanished.

"My magic…" Juvia said in shock," How…"

"I am applying negative magical waves to your positive magical waves," XingLong explained, before holding up his other hand," Yin Blast." His magic seal then appeared before him, and blasts of energy erupted around Juvia and Lucy, injuring them both even more than they already were. XingLong looked away, cringing.

"Causing all this suffering," he said," What sort of person am I?"

"If you don't want to cause suffering, why do you follow Jellal?" Lucy protested, as she weakly stood back up.

"If you goes on with his work," XingLong explained," People will all be finally free from their cravings, and suffering will be gone. But it will take discipline." As he said that, he held both of his hands.

"I shall try to end this quickly," he said," Yin Bl…" Before he could finish, a Cat Tube wrapped around his wrist, preventing him from using his magic.

"What?" XingLong said, his eyes widening. Juvia and Lucy followed the rope, to see Millianna jumping down.

"Can't believe I'm helping you, but its for Erzy!" she said, as she held up her fists to fight. XingLong's eyes closed, as he cracked his neck.

"Your attempts are admirable, but for nought," he sad, as he plucked at the tube slightly.

"Ha! Ha!" Millianna laughed," You're kidding me! You can't use your magic with that tube on you!" But right as she said that, the tube fell off, much to the shock of the three girls.

"How did you…," Millianna asked, in horror.

"I didn't use my magic if that's what you are thinking," XingLong said," I merely used my training to loosen my body enough that the coiling fell off. And now that it is…" He held up one hand.

"Yin Blast!"

The girls cried as energy blasts erupted around them, knocking them around.

"Open, Gate of the Goat: Capricorn!" Lucy cried, as she pulled out a key.

"Yang Point." The magic seal canceled out.

"What are we supposed to do?" Juvia cried out," Our magic is useless against this guy!" Lucy's face clenched in thought, before a lightbulb went off.

"I got an idea!" she declared," But its risky!"

"What is it?" Millianna asked.

"Just follow my lead!" Lucy said, as she pulled out one key, and thrust it into Juvia's water back.

"What are you doing you blonde bimbo!" Juiva snapped.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!" Lucy said. XingLong shook his head, and pointed.

"You never learn," he said," Yang Point." But it did nothing.

"What?" XingLong asked in surprise. With that, Juvia's water body exploded, and a blue mermaid with a large water cup appeared out of it.

"The waves given off by my keys might be there, but Juvia's waves are blocking them!" Lucy declared," Now Aquarius, do your thing!" The mermaid held up her water pot, only to bring it down on Lucy's head.

"What the hell did you summon me into!" she snapped," What's next, a toilet?!"

"I'm sorry!" Lucy said, as she rubbed her aching head," Can you just help?"

"FIne, if only to get this over with!" Aquarius said, as she held up her pot, and water flowed out of it in massive torrents.

"She will do nothing to help," XingLong said, as he held up both of his hands," So I will end this now!" Black and white magic then began to gather in the respective hands.

"With this attack, I will bring positive and negative waves together, and end this!" XingLong said," Yin-Yang Balance!" His magic seal appeared across the entire room. Aquarius water gathered in a large orb, as rocks begin to rise into the air, and join with the water ball.

"What's going on?" Millianna cried.

"I am concentrating all the magical waves into a single force," XingLong explained," And with this, all suffering will be put to an end! Once my hands connect, it will be over!" He then looked like he was getting ready to clap his hands together.

"Juvia!" Lucy cried as she jumped at the Rain Woman, reaching for her. On instinct, Juvia grabbed her hand. The two then glowed, as water whirled around both of them. XingLong blinked in surprise, as Millianna and Aquarius stared.

"Could this be it?" XingLong mused.

"Fairy Water!" Lucy and Juvia said in unison, as the water from Aquarius broke from the orb, and merged with the water from Juvia.

"No!" XingLong said, as he pointed," Yang Point!" However, while the water faltered it didn't stop. XingLong quickly thrashed his hands through the air, trying to redirect the water, but it did nothing. _The waves_ he thought_ I can't control them! Is this… Unison Raid?_

With that, XingLong was blasted by a torrent of water, and sent flying into the wall. He then collapsed. XingLong weakly looked up, at the two girls, who were both on their knees, panting. He smiled slightly.

"Well, at least it put an end to the suffering," he said, as he closed his eyes slightly.

**(with Jellal)**

Jellal sighed as he flicked the Monk piece down.

"Well, the Monk has failed," he said," How will the Space Bender fare?" He then held up a piece that looked like a star.

**(with Gray)**

"Where are we going?" Gray asked, as he followed Simon.

"To the top of the Tower of Heaven," Simon answered," Where Jellal most likely is."

"I still don't know how dandy it is to be helping this guy," Wally complained as he brought up the rear.

"You will have to live with it, Wally!" Simon insisted," Because until…" He couldn't finish as suddenly, a magic circle appeared below them, and the three fell through it.

When they emerged, then were in some expansive cavern.

"Now, now," an oily voice said," We can't have you barging in, its not polite." The boys looked up, and standing on one of the large cages that were suspended from the cavern ceiling, was a tall man in a formal suit. He had slicked back hair that was completely black, and his arms were folded behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" Wally demanded, as he turned his arm into a Polygon Rifle.

"How rude of me," the man said," I did not introduce myself. My name is Zephyr of the Tri-Blades."

"Zephyr?" Gray asked.

"Indeed sir," the man said as he nodded briefly.

"Fine then!" Gray said, as he took a battle position," So get out of our way!"

"I'm afraid I cannot," Zephyr said," You see, its rude for guests to barge through their host's host."

"I said get out of our way!" Gray said, as he thrust a huge ice spear at Zephyr, who just held up his hand. A glowing circle with stars in it appeared, and the spear vanished into it. Zephyr then flicked his wrist, and the spear then came out behind Simon, who managed to get out of the way.

"How did you do that?" Simon demanded.

"It is rude of me not to explain," Zephyr said," But I am not in a position to explain yet. Perhaps more demonstrations will be in order?" He then snapped his fingers. Several glowing orbs then appeared from another circle over his head, and homed in on the trio. Wally shot some down, but Gray and Simon had to dodge.

"Dark Moment!" Simon said, as darkness suddenly consumed the room.

"Dandy going!" Wally said," Now…" But Zephyr suddenly grinned in the darkness, as he held up a hand. A huge stream of light then filled the room.

"Nice try, but no," he said calmly, as he snapped his fingers again. More circles appeared around Simon, and things that looked like claws reached out and grabbed him.

"Simon!" Wally cried," Not dandy! Now take this!" He then turned his other arm into a rifle, and blasted at Zephyr, who just waved his hand. The blasts disappeared through more circles, and emerged behind Wally, who turned into blocks to avoid it.

"I am sorry that you don't learn," Zephyr said with a grin," But this should 'drive the point home' if I may." He then held up both of his hands at Wally.

"Empty!" he yelled. At first nothing happened, but suddenly, Wally let out a cry, as he fell to the ground, his body turning back to normal.

"Wally!" Simon cried.

"Bastard!" Gray said," Ice Make: Battle Axe!" He then jumped at Zephyr with his axe. But as he went down, in an instant Zephyr was standing on a different cage.

"You don't learn at all I guess," he said, as he held up his hands," I guess I should explain now. Have you ever heard of the Magic Arcs?"

"Arcs?" Gray asked.

"Ancient forms of magic that can bend reality," Simon said," What about them?"

"There are multiple ones," Zephyr said," There is the Arc of Embodiment, the Arc of Time, the Arc of Darkness, the list goes on."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gray demanded. Zephyr grinned darkly.

"My power is one of the greatest," he said holding up his hands," My power is the Arc of Space!"

"The Arc of Space?" Simon said," So all these circles are portals?"

"Indeed," Zephyr answered," And I stripped your square friend of his power by opening a void in his magical power, that sucked out his magic. And now…" He then held up his hand at Simon.

"Empty." Simon grunted, as he went limp, and the claws dropped him.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Gray said, as he made a hammer out of ice, and aimed it at Zephyr, who just teleported to another cage.

"Now it is your turn," Zephyr said, as he held up his hands, and got ready. But before he could, the wall beside him exploded, breaking his concentration. Gray saw the opportunity and seized it.

"Ice Make: Battering Ram!" he said, as a large cylinder slammed into Zephyr, sending him flying. Zephyr managed to land using his powers, but he was still injured.

"What the hell?" he asked.

"I believe this is the second time now?" a familiar voice said. A voice that made Gray cringe, but sigh with relief internally.

"Natsu."

**Note: I hope this was satisfactory, I wasn't sure how to progress this chapter. So I went with my gut. I initially planned on Gray just fighting Zephyr one on one, but I guess that would have been hard, and a lot of people wanted Natsu to get back in the story. One thing I'm considering is making XingLong more of a good guy. Still taking ideas, and the pairing is still in deciding**


	25. The Arc of Space

_**The Arc of Space**_

Jellal set down another chess piece that resembled a dragon.

"So the dragon has entered the fray," he mused, before narrowing his eyes," Natsu Dragonia."

**(with Gray and Natsu)**

"Who the hell are you?" Zephyr demanded.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," Natsu said," I am Natsu Dragonia of Fairy Tail."

"First time you have ever said that openly," Gray noted, but Natsu ignored him. From the ground, Simon watched weakly. _Dragonia_ he thought. Zephyr cleared his throat, and dusted off his suit.

"Please to meet you," he said, as he retook up his polite aura," I am Zephyr of the Tri-Blades."

"I overheard you boasting about your magic," Natsu said," You said you use the Arc of Space?"

"Indeed."

"Not impressed," Natsu said," The Arc of Space is the most limited of the Arcs." Zephyr's eye twitched at the statement, but he took a breath.

"Very well then," he said," I suppose it is polite of me to prove you wrong." He then held up his hands. It was a stance Gray recognized.

"Look out!" Gray yelled, but Natsu didn't move. Gray jumped to help, but he couldn't move.

"What the hell?" he cried.

"Empty," Zephyr said. Natsu didn't move, and both Gray and Zephyr thought it was over. Natsu then held up his fists.

"Chaos Dragon's…," he began.

"No way," Zephyr murmured.

"Beam!" Natsu said, as he fired his Chaos Dragon attack at Zephyr. Zephyr responded quickly by creating a portal that absorbed the blast, which the Natsu's attack disappeared into.

"How did you escape my Empty technique!?" Zephyr demanded. Natsu just rolled his shoulders.

"Why should I bother explaining it to a weakling like you?" he questioned. Zephyr's body pulsed with rage, as he let out a yell.

"I'm going to erase you!" he declared. With that, he jumped at Natsu. The pink-haired teen just shook his head. He held up one fist.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he said, as he launched his fist at Zephyr. The fist collided, but Zephyr smirked. Natsu let out a grunt, as the force of the attack hit him in the back. Zephyr transported himself to another position, as Natsu landed on one cage, rubbing his back.

"So that's what it feels like," he said to himself. He didn't sound mad, or even annoyed, he just sounded surprised.

"How did he do that?" Gray asked. Zephyr smirked as he held up his hand, and clenched it.

"When an attack makes contact, it inflicts a great amount of force," he explained," But the Arc of Space allows me to transfer the force of the attack to another spot. I won't deny that the Arc of Space is technically limited to just transporting, but I am capable of transporting anything I choose. And now…." He slammed his fist into his other hand.

"Arc of Space: Inferno!" he declared, as he spread his hands, and clouds of fire appeared out of it. The attack rushed towards Natsu, who held up his arms.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" he said, as his magic shield formed to protect him.

Gray jumped at Zephyr.

"Ice Make: Lance!" he said, as a series of ice spears launched at Zephyr. He them coming though, and transported the ice to behind Natsu.

"Natsu, look out!" Gray yelled. Natsu turned to the spears.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" he said, as he launched his roar, and destroyed them.

"You can't beat me!" Zephyr said, as he clenched one fist," Arc of Space: Blast!" With that, a series of energy blasts erupted around Gray, who cried out. Natsu jumped up at Zephyr.

"Chaos Dragon's Whip!" Natsu said, as he formed a large whip out of his magic, and lashed it at Zephyr. Zephyr, however, created a void that sucked up the magic.

"Arc of Space: Prison!" Zephyr said, as he pointed at Natsu. The Dragon Slayer suddenly couldn't move.

"What trickery is this?" Natsu demanded.

"I opened a void around you," Zephyr said," A void where space can't be moved through. So in short, you are imprisoned within that small space." Natsu sneered.

"It is an efficient way of incapacitating someone," he said.

"Oh don't worry," Zephyr sneered in his own right," I have more plans for you." With that, he turned to Gray.

**(with Lucy and Juvia)**

"I wish I could have done more, meow!" Millianna mused, as she sat cross legged.

"Don't sell yourself short," Lucy said with an encouraging smile," If XingLong had gotten off another one of those Yin Blasts we probably wouldn't have been able to win."

"I still find it hard to see how I did that much," Millianna said, as she leaned up.

"I still find it hard to see that I worked with you," Juvia said, as she tapped one foot impatiently," We must find Gray!"

"We don't know where they are though," Lucy answered.

"I do," XingLong's voice said, as he sat back up. The girls swung around to face him, as the robed man leaned against the wall.

"Relax," he said," I know when I've lost." He sat cross legged, and took a breath.

"I must meditate on what I must do next," XingLong said," But before, I will give you the proper directions to find your way around."

"I know what you should do next," Lucy said.

"And what would that be?"

"You should help us," Lucy insisted," You said you want to free the world from suffering, but if you want to do that, you can't let Zeref return. You should help us take Jellal down. Then you will be free from suffering, perhaps." XingLong thought about those words, before shrugging.

"Like I said, I shall meditate on it," he said.

**(at the Magic Council)**

The council was taking a break, even as the debate continued to rage on. Siegrain was sitting in the library, staring out a window, as Ultear stood next to him.

"Siegrain!" Yajima called, as he walked into the library, his hands clenched behind his back.

"Master Yajima," Siegrain said as he stood and nodded.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Ultear inquired.

"It concerns the situation with Jellal," Yajima said.

"Oh yes," Siegrain said," I trust you are still thinking about the Etherion…"

"That is exactly why I''m here!" Yajima cut in," I find it very out of character for you to resort to such a drastic measure. Especially against your own brother." Siegrain sighed.

"I agree that it is not the most preferable of methods," he said," But it is the only method."

"Siegrain is right," Ultear said," We have to take any means necessary to prevent the Tower of Heaven from being completed."

"Exactly what puzzles me," Yajima said," In any other situation, you would resort to a more peaceful solution."

"Sometimes peaceful solutions are unavailable," Siegrain said, as he walked out, Ultear behind him. Yajima just watched Siegrain carefully as he left.

**(with Gray and Natsu)**

As Natsu managed to remain calm in his search for a way out, Gray was having little luck against Zephyr. The man had completely dropped his polite facade, and was attack with newfound ferocity.

"Arc of Space: Demon Arms!" Zephyr said, as he spread his hands, and portals appeared around him, that demonic, clawed hands shot out of. Gray jumped out of the way.

"Ice Make: Battle Axe!" he said, as he jumped at Zephyr, and slashed at the axe. The attack made contact, but the force was transferred to Gray's stomach, who let out a painful gag, and was sent flying onto another cage. Zephyr laughed cruelly.

"You can't beat the power of Space!" he declared," Arc of Space: Disappear!" The entire chain that was holding the cage Gray was on, suddenly vanished, and the cage fell.

"Ice Make: Chain!" Gray said, as he shot a chain at the nearest cage, which it latched onto. He then swung up on the chain.

"Ice Make: Sword!" Gray said, as an ice sword formed around his arm.

"Arc of Space: Reappear!" Zephyr responded, as the chain he made disappear, reappeared in front of him, and lashed at Gray.

"Damn it!" Gray said, as he just barely avoided the attack.

"You can't beat me!" Zephyr insisted, with an insane look," You should just give up!" Gray coughed up some blood as he looked at Zephyr, and smiled.

"Over my dead body." Zephyr laughed at the statement.

"Oh very well then," he sneered," Then get ready to be permanently erased!" He then held up one hand, and stuck the index, and middle finger up, and stuck the pinky and the thumb in the other hand. He then brought the two hands together, so they were vertical to each other.

"Arc of Space…," he began.

"Wait!" Natsu suddenly yelled. The two combatants turned, and saw the third staring intently at Zephyr.

"You must truly be a fool to recognize that weakling as a greater threat," Natsu said," You should finish me first."

"Bastard!" Gray yelled at Natsu, but he ignored the insult. Zephyr just laughed.

"Oh very well," he said, as he turned his hands to Natsu," I will erase you first! Arc of Space: Abyss!" With that, Natsu form started to shimmer.

"What?" Natsu asked, though it was more of bored curiosity, then that of anxiety.

"I'm going to seal you within another dimension," Zephyr declared," And erase you from this one! Soon the shimmer will consume your entire body, in which you will then be swallowed by the dimension!" Natsu just grinned darkly.

"Never tell an enemy the plan," he said," Now Fullbuster!" That caught Zephyr off guard, as a shadow appeared over him.

"Can't believe I'm taking orders from you!" Gray said with a grin," Ice Make: Meteor!" With that, a large chunk of ice rained down on Zephyr.

"No!" Zephyr yelled, as he broke his contact from Natsu, and made the ice vanish. However, he was suddenly hit in the back by Natsu's foot, and sent flying.

"Apparently you needed to cancel your prison to use your abyss," Natsu said, as he rolled his shoulder," Such is the inefficiency of such a technique." Zephyr just weakly started to get up.

"No point," Natsu said, as he pointed up. Zephyr followed his finger.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Gray yelled, as Zephyr screamed, and held up his hands to try and absorb the falling ice.

**(with Jellal)**

"So the Space Man has fallen," Jellal said to himself, before turning towards the pieces that resembled a knight and a card. He set a piece down again.

"How will the Vulture fare?"

**Note: Well, I think this turned out well. I was worried about the fight, but I'm satisfied with it. I hope everyone else is too. Pairing is still on the fence, since people are constantly giving points that favor either side. And if anyone has any questions about how the Arc of Space works, just leave it in a review, and I'll be sure to answer**


	26. The Vulture

_**The Vulture**_

"You sure you know where you're going?" Erza asked, as Sho lead her down the hallway.

"Of course, Sis!" Sho said in a confident tone," This is nothing!"

As the two former slaves ran down the hallway, towards where Sho believed Jellal was, Erza was getting increasingly anxious.

**(with Jellal)**

"Well Erza, you are getting close," Jellal said," But the question remains to if you will get any closer." He set down a chess piece that looked like a perched vulture.

**(with Erza)**

Erza suddenly stopped in her tracks, and looked around. The two had gone into a long hallway that resembled a traditional Japanese bridge.

"What's wrong?" Sho asked, as he stopped as well.

"I feel… something," Erza said," Something that feels evil." Sho got out his cards, and looked around.

"I don't see anything," he said. As he said it though, a shadow went over the two. They both looked up, and through the light, was a strange silhouette, circling over them.

"What is that?" Sho asked.

"I don't know," Erza said.

Then, all of a sudden, the shape swooped down towards the two mages.

"Dive!" Erza yelled, as she jumped out of the way, as Sho followed close behind. The figure then landed on the ground, and it was then that the two actually got a good look. It was a man of average height, with a hunched physique. He had a primarily bald head, with occasional clumps of short hair stuccoing out. He had a long hooked nose, with beady eyes. All these traits combined made Erza think of a vulture. It didn't help that he had a cloak that looked like it was made from black feathers.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded as she held out her sword.

"I am the leader of the Tri-Blades," the man introduced," Geier, the Vulture."

"The Scavenger?" Sho asked," What does that mean?"

"I don't give a damn why he's called that!" Erza said, tightening her grip on her blade," If he's in our way, I'll take him down!" With that, she entered her Heaven's Wheel armor.

"Blumenblatt!" she yelled, as several large swords appeared through the air, and shot at Geier. The vulture-like man held up his arms, revealing very bony arms, allowing his cloak to open up like wings. A glowing red talon then emerged from within the cloak, and grabbed the swords. It then drew them in. This caught both Erza and Sho off guard.

"What devilry is this?" Erza said through gritted teeth.

"A magic unlike that which you have ever seen before," Geier answered, before holding up a single hand. His hand had a gnarled, twisted appearance. His skin on the hand looked almost scaly, and his fingernails were long and sharp, making his hand resemble a talon.

"Bluemblatt," he said. Erza's trademark swords then appeared over him, before slashing down.

**(with Natsu and Gray)**

"So what you made come back?" Gray asked, as he leaned against the wall.

"I fail to realize how that's relevant," Natsu said, as he looked up.

"Come on," Gray said, with a smirk," You like us more than you want to adm…" He was suddenly grabbed by the collar, and thrust against the wall.

"Continue that statement, and you won't have a mouth to speak with," Natsu hissed, looking at Gray straight into the eye.

"Fine!" Gray said," Calm down!" Natsu then let go of Gray, and walked away.

"Go find the others and leave," he instructed," I sense that Scarlet is fighting the last of the Tri-Blades, so you will no longer be needed."

"You kidding me?" Gray demanded," What about Jellal?"

"He will be easy prey," Natsu said," Just go." Gray cringed, but he knew that Natsu was right. He was in no condition to fight, and chances were the girls weren't either.

That in mind, he weakly leaned up.

"Fine," he said, before starting to walk away.

"Do you feel it?" Natsu suddenly spoke up. Gray stopped, and turned, and Natsu was looking out of the large hole he used to break into the tower. Night had completely fallen, but the stars seemed to be being swallowed by the clouds.

"Feel what?" Gray asked.

"Something is coming," Natsu said," And whatever it is, it feels…. malicious."

**(at the Magic Council)**

"The Council has reached a decision," Doma decreed as he brought his staff down," The Etherion is to be fired." There were several agreeing nods around the room, save for Yajima, who narrowed his eyes.

"Prepare the cannon," Doma ordered," We target the Tower of Heaven. And Jellal."

**(with Erza)**

Erza dodged another assault from Geier. Again, it was her Bluemblatt. To help the situation, Erza had reverted to her normal armor.

"How can you use my magic?" Erza demanded.

"It is not truly your magic anymore," Geier answered, as he folded his hand back into his cloak.

"Are you using Requip?" Erza questioned.

"Not exactly," Geier answered," My magic far exceeds such a simple system."

"Sister, get down!" Sho yelled, as he held up his cards," Take this!" With that, he threw several cards, and the turned into beams of light. Erza jumped out of the way. Geier just shook his head, as he opened his cloak again, and the same glowing talon emerged from within in it, and consumed the light, before retracting into the shroud.

"I do appreciate the food," Geier said," It is very important to keep up with one's energy." He then held up his hand again, and cards appeared around them, before launching at Sho. Sho let out a cry as the cards slashed at him.

"Sho!" Erza yelled.

"Relax, I'm fine," Sho said, as he slowly got up. Erza glared at Geier intently.

"How are you doing this?" she said. The vulture-like man just sighed, as he rubbed his head. It was a wonder that he did it without cutting his head up.

"I suppose I should explain," he relented," Though I doubt it will do you much good." Geier then spread his arms to open his cloak completely.

"My magic, is Scavenger Magic," he explained.

"What's Scavenger Magic?" Sho asked.

"You see," Geier said, as he lowed his arms back into his coat," When one uses magic, the magic leaves certain amounts behind. Scavenger Magic allows me to take up those remnants, and use them for myself. Likewise, I can take in magical attacks, allowing me to gain use of those techniques." He then held up his hand, and spread his fingers, making his nails look even more like talons.

"In short," he said," For every technique you give me, I will have something to respond with." With that, he let at Erza. In response, Erza jumped at him, sword drawn. But then to her surprise, Geier flew past her. That caught Erza by surprise, but it didn't take her long to realize his plan.

"Sho!" she cried.

Before the blonde could respond, he let out a cry of pain, as Geier sliced him with his nails.

"No!" Erza cried, as she entered her Flame Empress Armor, and slashed Geier. The hunched man just turned, and jumped up to dodge. Red light then floated into him.

"It is no use," Geier said, as he held out his hand," And the Flame Sword appeared in it." He then slashed it, and fire came down upon Erza, who managed to get out of the way. But the red head's first concern was Sho. He was twitching, with his eyes closed.

"Do not worry," Geier said,"All I did was paralyze him." Erza glared up at him, grinding her teeth.

"I see no necessity to give me such a look," Geier said," I am merely sorting out the weak, and removing him from the equation. That is the duty of a vulture. To find the ones who are weak, and clean them up."

"You bastard!" Erza yelled, as she re-quipped again, into her Purgatory Armor," I will rip you to pieces!" Geier just shook his head.

**(at the Magic Council)**

In the Etherion control room, the large weapon was being prepped for fire. The amphibian servants were keeping every system in check closely, as the system continued to get ready.

"We are almost ready, sir!" one of the employees reported to Doma.

"Good!" the elderly man said," We will fire the moment we are in position."

From the sidelines, Siegrain and Ultear watched.

"It is progressing at a good rate," Ultear noted.

"It certainly is," Siegrain said with a nod.

"So are you really going through with this?" Ultear asked. Siegrain just grinned in a dark fashion.

"If this succeeds," he said," Then there will be true freedom." Seemingly unbeknownst to either of them, standing in the background, watching them closely, was Yajima.

**(with Lucy and Juvia)**

"Are you sure Jellal will be there?" Lucy asked.

"I agree," Juvia said," This is time spent that could be sent looking for Gray!"

"Do you know any other names?" Lucy said with a sweat-drop.

"I'm sure, meow!" Millianna said," Just trust me!"

The three girls had been running for a while now, and Lucy was having serious doubts that Millianna really knew where she was going. It didn't help that Juvia was constantly making a different grievance about Gray and what was going on with him. By now, Lucy was getting worried. If what Erza had told them about Jellal was true, as well as what XingLong had implied, then things probably could only get worse.

On top of all of that, Lucy had a strange feeling. It was a feeling of forbidding. The feeling, was like something was on its way to the Tower of Heaven.

As if the universe was reading her mind, the girls stopped, seeing Wally and Gray walking down the hall. Closer inspection, however, showed that Wally was supporting Gray over his shoulder. It looked Gray had taken somewhat of a beating. However, Lucy doubted that they were the feeling she had.

"Wally!" Millianna said. Wally grinned at the cat girl.

"It sure is dandy to see you, Millianna," he said.

"Gray, my Prince!" Juvia cried, as she ran towards Gray, virtually tackling him," Who did this to you?"

"Calm down!" Gray said," I'm fine!"

"Where's Simon?" Millianna asked.

"I don't know," Wally answered," Last I saw, he was running down the hall, telling us to leave."

"Should we?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu came," Gray said.

"He did?"

"Yeah," Gray confirmed with a nod," And he said he would take care of it."

"Well, if anyone can beat Jellal its Natsu," Lucy said," But what about Erza?"

"And Sho?" Millianna added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that is why Simon ran off," Wally said.

"Its Erza, she's probably doing fine," Gray said, as he continued to try and push Juvia off.

**(with Erza)**

Erza let out an angry yell, as she slashed at Geier again with the Purgatory sword. However, the Vulture just dodged again.

"When will you learn?" he asked," You cannot beat me."

"I'll be damned if I let a filthy coward like you win!" Erza yelled. The word "filthy" reached Geier's brain, and his eye twitched.

"What did you call me?" he asked in a steady, yet tense voice.

"You are a filthy. Coward," Erza repeated, still glaring. Geier's eyes glowed evilly, as he let out a yell.

"Vulture, are NOT filthy!" he roared, as he ripped his coat off, revealing that he wasn't wearing a shirt, with tan pants. His feet could be seen now, and they looked just as gnarled and birdlike as his hands were.

"You will feel my true power!" With that, he held out his arms, and they turned into black wings. He then flew up, and dived at Erza.

"Vulture's Fury!" Geier said, as he beat his wings once. A series of razor sharp feathers then flew at Erza. She held up her hands to block, but it did little against, as the armor as penetrated. Before she could get her head together again, Geier dove at her again, and slashed with his nails, causing the armor to break.

"You truly are nothing!" Geier said, as he perched on top of one of the arches. Erza weakly tried to get up, though her body felt stiff, no doubt the result of being slashed by Geier's paralyzing talons.

_There is no armor I can use to beat him_ Erza thought _Then how…. _Erza knew how to fight, but the idea made her feel nervous. _No armor._

"Why won't you fight?" Geier hissed," Are you finally relenting your loss?" Erza's body began to glow.

"Never," was all she said. When the light faded, her armor was gone, and her torso was wrapped his bandages, while she had red leggings on. Her hair was tied back, and she had a large katana in her hands.

"More Requip?" Geier said," Is that it?"

"I will put all my power into this blade," Erza declared," And use it to defeat you!" Geier laughed, as he spread his wings.

"Fine then," he said," Let's end this now!" He then took the air, as he held up his taloned feet, and magic energy gathered in it.

"I took this attack from Jellal himself!" Geier said," And I will use it to take you down!" Normally, Erza would feel frightened by being confronted by Jellal's attack, especially if she didn't have any armor on. But for some reason, she felt… stronger. She let out a yell, as she jumped at Geier. Geier also dove down, getting ready to launch the attack.

SLASH!

A few black feathers floated down to the ground. Erza fell to the ground, panting, as Geier landed on his feet. Blood then spurted from his chest, as he collapsed.

"How…," he whispered. Erza wipe some blood from her mouth.

"You might be able to use the magic," she said," But you have no experience with it. That is why you lost." Geier just took a breath, as he stared at the ceiling.

"Sho!" Erza said, as she ran over to her old friend," Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, SIster," Sho said," I think the poison is wearing off."

"Good," Erza said," Then you find the others, and you should go!"

"But Sister….," Sho began, but not waiting for a response, Erza ran down the hall. Sho sighed, as he weakly got up, and lumbered down the hall.

Meanwhile, Geier continued to stare straight up.

"What is this feeling?" he asked himself," What is coming?"

**(with Jellal)**

"So Erza, I guess it is just you and me," Jellal said, as he stood up," Fine then. I'm ready!"

**Note: Sorry about the abrupt ending. I am accepting suggestions as to start the next chapter.**

**So, just what is it that Natsu and the others are sensing now**


	27. Erza and Jellal

_**Erza and Jellal**_

"Jellal!" Erza cried out as she burst into the throne room.

The room itself was very dark, but a large Lacrima crystal.

"Erza," a smooth voice murmured. The red head clenched her teeth, as she turned, and saw him.

Jellal had grown since they last saw each other. And and while it was little compared to the others, for some reason, he seemed to have changed the most. For starters, he was taller, and his stance was very firm. But it was a stance of sinister satisfaction, like the image a lion has after it caught its prey.

"Its been a long time," Jellal said darkly," I think some reintroductions are in order. It appears that you defeated all the Tri-Blades."

"Spare me all this crap," Erza hissed, as she pointed her sword at him," I'm here to stop you." Jellal snickered.

"Come now," he said, as he spread his arms," Is that anyway for two friends to greet each other."

"You stopped being my friend awhile ago," Erza said.

"But what about all that we went through together?" Jellal countered," Do you remember Lazar?"

"You are not one to talk about Lazar," Erza said," You seem no better than him!"

"Comparing me to a man who sells people to slavery," Jellal said with a shrug," Seems rather harsh."

"Case and point, you try to recreate this evil structure," Erza said," But this ends now!" With that, she then summoned a second sword into her hand, and jumped at Jellal. When she slashed with both her blades, Jellal flipped over her.

"You will have to try much harder than that," Jellal sneered.

In response, Erza charged again.

**(with the others)**

"I still say we should be looking for Erza," Gray said, as Wally helped him into the boat.

"Aye!" Happy said as he jumped onto Lucy's head," She's our friend!"

"Look!" Lucy suddenly said, pointing. Everyone turned, and saw Sho running towards them.

"Sho!" Millianna cried.

"Everyone!" Sho said, as he ran over to them.

"Where's Erza?" Wally asked.

"She told me to go on without me," Sho said," She said she's going to take down Jellal."

"That's crazy!" Millianna said.

"Come on," Juvia said," It can go that bad."

"Juvia's right," Lucy said," If anyone can beat Jellal, its got to be Erza."

"Its worse than that," Wally said.

"How?" Gray asked.

"Jellal wants Erza to come to him," Wally said," He plans on using her…"

**(with Erza)**

_"… as a sacrifice."_

Erza let out an angry yell as she slashed at Jellal again. The blue-haired man dived out of the way.

"Why Jellal?" Erza cried," Why did you become like this?" She did an "x" style slash, but Jellal bent back, and out of the way.

"Come now, Erza," he said calmly," Shouldn't it be obvious?"

"This isn't you!" Erza yelled," Whatever happened, this IS NOT you! I will not accept this!"

"Then it is apparent that you have grown naive in that case," Jellal said," You must learn to accept things for what they are."

"But if this is the result, then I can't accept it!" Erza," I'll defeat you if its the last thing I do!"

With that, she sprung at Jellal once again, slashing at him. Jellal moved out of the way, before grinning darkly.

"You don't seem to understand reality do you?" he asked.

"I know that the reality is you have to be stopped!" Erza retorted. Jellal laughed.

"I suppose you don't understand, not that I blame you, you don't know the truth," he said.

That statement caught Erza off guard, as her heart jumped slightly.

"The truth?"

"Indeed," Jellal said," Did you ever wonder what happened down in that chasm after what happened to Grandpa Rob?"

_(Flashback)_

_Jellal stirred as he slowly got up. He was in completely darkness, and it felt like he had a broken arm. But for the time, he didn't care._

_"ERZA!" he cried," ERZA!" But no matter where he looked or where he cried, he got no response. However, he could faintly hear the sound of battle, so he hobbled to his feet, and began to walk in that direction. But in a short time, his legs gave out._

_"No, I won't let it end here," he said, his voice wrapped in pain._

_**"It doesn't have to end here,"**__ a firm, dark voice echoed. Jellal looked up, and around._

_"Who's there?" he asked._

_**"Just a friend who sees the same pain you do,"**__ the voice said__**," I know how it feels to be deprived of freedom. And I want to create a world where there is freedom for all."**_

_"How can you do this?" Jellal asked._

_**"Well, I cannot do it alone. I could use a little… assistance."**_

_"I'll help!" Jellal said," If it means helping Erza and the others, I'll help you as much as I can!" The voice laughed, sending a shiver throughout the cavern._

_**"Very well then," **__the voice said__**," I will let you help me."**_

_"What do I have to do?" Jellal asked._

_**"Just remember my name,"**__ the voice said__**," Zeref."**_

_With that, dark magic swirled around Jellal, before it began to consume his body. But it eventually faded, and when it did, Jellal was standing, his injuries completely healed, and an evil smile crawled onto his face._

_(End Flashback)_

"You mean to tell me that you spoke with Zeref?" Erza said," That's impossible!"

"And yet it happened," Jellal said," This seems to confirm my stance on you not accepting reality." He then grinned darkly, before shrugging off his robe, revealing some kind of a jumpsuit. His body then began to glow. It didn't take long for Erza to recognize it as magic.

"Very well, I think the time to play is over," Jellal said," Now… METEOR!" With that, he shot to Erza, in a speed where she could barely see him. He moved at such a pace, he almost looked like a shooting star.

Erza let out a gasp, as she was hit in the back. As a reflex, she slashed at Jellal again. However, he just bolted away again, with his Meteor technique.

"Try as you might, Erza," Jellal said," you will never catch me." Instead of answering Jellal's taunts, this time, Erza sprung at him again. She attempted to slash him with one sword, but Jellal rocketed away again. _ I don't get it_ Erza thought_ Why isn't he trying to fight back more? Unless…_

Erza then abruptly stopped.

"Giving up?" Jellal inquired.

"If you truly had any intention of fighting me off, you would have done it by now," Erza said," Right now, you're just stalling." Jellal grinned maliciously.

"You always were one of the more observant of us," he said," But it doesn't matter." He then snapped his fingers.

"Binding Snake!" he said. Suddenly, a serpentine symbol appeared on Erza's back, before it slithered around her body like a snake. Erza let out a cry, as she fell down, noble to move.

"When did you…," Erza began, before she remembered when Jellal hit her with Meteor for the first time. Jellal laughed darkly, as he folded his arms and looked up.

"Any moment now, the final phase can begin," he said," And Zeref will rise!"

**(at the Magic Council)**

At the council area, the Etherion cannon was finally ready.

"All systems are go!" one of the assistants said.

Yajima turned to Doma.

"Please Guran," he said," For one last time, I implore you that this is not done."

"We have no choice," Doma said," Prepare to fire!"

From the side, Siegrain and Ultear watched closely.

"On my mark!" Doma said.

"Looks like its beginning," Ultear noted.

"3…"

"Indeed," Seigrain said," It is beginning."

"2…"

"And with this, the final phase has begun," he said.

"1…."

Siegrain then smiled an evil, cruel smile. Something which did not go unnoticed by Yajima.

"FIRE!"

The cannon then gathered up its magic, before firing into the sky.

**(with Erza)**

Erza noticed a glow in the sky. Her eyes widened.

"Is that…"

"The Magic Councils Etherion Cannon," Jellal said," At long last."

The beam then blasted down upon the tower, as Erza close her eyes from the light of the blast.

But when the light faded, Erza noticed that she felt relatively unharmed from it. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe them.

The entire room, and on top of that, the entire tower, had been turned into a single giant Lacrima crystal.

**(with the others)**

"Is that the Tower of Heaven's true form?" Lucy said slowly.

"A giant Lacrima," Wally said.

"This isn't good," Sho said," Anytime now, Jellal will sacrifice Erza."

**(with Erza)**

Erza glared at Jellal, who was smiling darkly.

"The Tower of Heaven is complete," he said.

"This has always been your plan, hasn't it?" Erza said," You WANTED the Magic Council to use the Etherion."

"You are quite correct," Jellal said. He then began walking towards Erza, and reached towards her.

"And once the sacrifice is made, Zeref will rise once again."

Before he could grab her though, a blast of energy shot towards Jellal, who managed to use Meteor to get out of the way.

"You know, Acnologia once told me about Zeref," a familiar voice said. Erza gasped, before smiling weakly. A shadow appeared through the dust.

"He told me that Zeref was a mage of unrivaled darkness and power," the figure said as he emerged," Normally, I would want him to appear, so I could find a way to surpass him." Jellal narrowed his eyes.

"Natsu Dragonia," he said.

"But looking at the situation now, it doesn't seem very preferable," Natsu said.

**Note: I hoped you liked this chapter, since I was a little concerned about what I should do about it. This chapter I knew had to focus and Erza and Jellal, but I wasn't sure how to do it. So I hoped you were satisfied, and it seems that Jellal and Natsu will be fighting. This is a fight I've been looking forward to**


	28. Natsu vs Jellal

_**Natsu vs. Jellal**_

"Natsu Dragonia, I presume," Jellal said, as he faced Natsu head on.

"You are correct in the presumption," Natsu said, as he held one fist and clenched it tightly. Erza just watched, a smile weakly on her lips. Jellal then grinned.

"Regardless, you're too late," he said," The ritual has begun, and Zeref will be resurrected."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Natsu answered, before taking a breath," Chaos Dragon's Roar!" He then blasted a huge amount of magic at Jellal.

"Meteor!" Jellal said, as he jumped at Natsu with his Meteor technique. Natsu held up his fist.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he said, as he punched forward. Jellal moved out of the way, and slammed into Natsu. It did relatively little damage as a whole, but it sill knocked Natsu off balance slightly. The Dragon Slayer spun around, before gathering magical energy in his hands.

"Chaos Dragon's Beam!" Natsu said, as he launched his hands forward, firing his Chaos beam. Jellal flashed out of the way, before rocketing towards Natsu again.

"You are a fool to think I would fall for the same trick again!" Natsu said, as he held up his arms," Chaos Dragon's Shield!" Jellal bounced off the shield, skidding to a halt.

"Heavenly Beams!" he said, as held out his hands, and several magical beams came out of his hands, aimed at Natsu. Natsu dived out of the way quickly, landing on a Lacrima crystal before jumping into the air.

"Chaos Dragon's Guillotine!" he said, as he brought his elbow down on Jellal. Jellal managed to roll out of harm's way, before using Meteor to strike back at Natsu. Natsu held up his arms to block the attack, before attempting to deal a kick, which Jellal dodged.

"Such power," Erza murmured.

The two landed away from each other, before Natsu took a breath, and Jellal got his hands together.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!"

"Heavenly Blast!"

**(with the others)**

"Look at that light!" Millianna said, pointing. On the top of the Tower of Heaven, there were flashes of yellow, and blue light.

"I feel Jellal's magic," Wally said.

"And I feel Natsu's," Gray said.

"Imagine those two fighting," Sho said," Its scary." Everyone agreed, except Lucy, who seemed distracted.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Gray asked.

"I feel something," Lucy answered," Like something is coming."

"It was probably the Etherion," Juvia said.

"That's what I thought too," Lucy said," But its already struck, and I still feel it coming."

"Do you know what it is?" Wally asked.

"No, but it feels... evil."

**(at the Magic Council)**

Siegrain and Ultear watched the employees scramble around, to keep the Etherion in place.

"To think that Jellal wanted us to do that," Org said," We were fools."

"Indeed," Doma said," But we will not make the mistake again."

Siegrain grinned darkly.

"Is there something you find amusing, Siegrain?" Yajima inquired as he walked up to the two of them, his arms folded behind his back. Behind him, were several rune knights.

"Not exactly," Siegrain answered," Just seeing the whole race makes me smile." Yajima remained silent, as he kept his iron gaze on Jellal.

"Is there something wrong, Master Yajima?" Siegrain asked.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Yajima questioned.

"Whatever do you mean?" Siegrain inquired.

"You are far too knowledgeable to be unaware of the Tower of Heaven result," Yajima said," Admit it, you had an ulterior motive for firing the cannon." The Rune Knights murmured amongst themselves, surprised at the statement, and the idea of Siegrain having bigger plans.

The blue haired man just grinned darkly.

"You are truly clever," he said," I suppose there is no need hiding it anymore." Before anyone could respond, Siegrain fired a blast of energy at Yajima. The older man managed to block it, but when the light faded, Siegrain was gone.

"Damn you…. Jellal," Yajima said through gritted teeth.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Ultear had slipped away.

**(with Natsu)**

"Apocalypse Technique: Chaos Flash!" Natsu said, as he held up his hands. Several glowing orbs appeared around Jellal, before exploding. Through the dust, Jellal emerged, slightly injured.

"Heavenly Spear!" he said, as he launched an enormous spear of light at Natsu. Natsu dodged.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" he said, spitting out a blast of energy. Jellal used Meteor to blast away, before rocketing towards Natsu.

"Heavenly Arrows!" Jellal said, a she swiped his hands, sending several blasts of light at Natsu.

"Chaos Dragon's Cannon!" Natsu countered, sending a blast of energy back at Jellal in response. The two attacks met, before they both cancelled each other.

The two skidded to a halt. Erza just watched closely, her face full of awe.

"You are a skilled fighter," Natsu said, as he wiped some dust from his face.

"Likewise," Jellal said," So I suppose I should take the battle up a notch.

"What are you…"

"So this is the guy," a voice said, as Erza and Natsu sensed a fourth presence. The all turned, and saw… another Jellal?

**(at the Magic Council)**

"I was a fool," Doma said," I should have seen this from the beginning."

"You should not blame yourself," a tall man with black, tied back hair said," You could not have seen the situation coming.

"That is where you are wrong, Lahar," Doma said," I could have seen it coming. My age is taking its toll."

"We cannot wallow in our misery," Org said," The fact of the matter is Siegrain betrayed us."

"Somehow I doubt it is that simple," Yajima said.

**(with Natsu)**

Siegrain calmly walked towards Jellal.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Jellal said, with a smirk.

"The Council had me busier than I thought I would be," Siegrain said.

"What is the meaning of this?" Natsu demanded.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," Siegrain said," I am called 'Siegrain' by many."

"I take it by your tone that is not your true name," Natsu sneered.

"Call me whatever you like," Siegrain answered," According to many, I'm Jellal's brother."

"It should be obvious," Jellal said. Natsu's eyes narrowed, as he retook his fighting stance, knowing that taking down two brothers wouldn't be easy.

"Impossible," Erza's voice said. Everyone turned, and saw Erza, struggling to move, using all her strength to resist the Binding Snake.

"You never had a brother," Erza said," If you did, he would have been captured by Lazar."

"I said according to many, I am Jellal's brother," Siegrain said, as his form began to glow," I never said I was his brother myself."

_What?_ Natsu and Erza thought together. As those thoughts went from their heads, Siegrain seemed to literally merge with Jellal.

"The power I possess has some unorthodox uses," Jellal said," But often times, the unorthodox are the most useful." With that, Siegrain merged into Jellal completely, leaving just Jellal present.

"Thought Projection Magic is quite the magic, isn't it?" Jellal said, with a dark grin," And now that my powers are no longer split…." Suddenly, Jellal rocketed forth, and smashed fully into Natsu. Natsu let out a gasp as he wheezed out some blood, and he was sent flying away, and into the Lacrima. He emerged, coughing.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" Natsu said, as he breathed out a stream of Chaos magic.

"Heavenly Shield!" Jellal said, as he held up his hands. Beams of light gathered around Jellal, shielding him from the energy.

"Chaos Dragon's Flight!" Natsu said, as he flew towards Jellal. Jellal just grinned darkly, as he held up his hand.

"Heavenly Beams!" he said, as he fired a series of powerful light beams at Natsu. The energy smashed into Natsu, sending him flying away. He skidded to a halt, as he fell to one knee.

"How could he have suddenly gotten so strong?" Natsu said.

"I believe the reason is rather apparent," Jellal countered, as he suddenly appeared behind Natsu," This ends now!" With that, he held up his hands. Light began to gather around him, as seven seals appeared around his body.

"Grand Chariot!" As he said that, a blast of magic came from each seal, heading towards Natsu. Natsu quickly held up his arms.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" he said desperately, as he tried to block the worst of the attack.

"Natsu!" Erza cried. The Dragon Slayer clenched his teeth, before the blast finally got the better of him, and sent him flying. He smashed into the Lacrima. He looked up.

"You bastard," Natsu said through clenched teeth. Jellal arched an eyebrow at the sight of him. It looked like he was thinking.

"So you survived," he noted before grinning," No matter, because I just got a better reason to keep you around. That said…." He turned towards Erza.

"I have no use for you." Erza's eyes widened, as Jellal held up his hands. Shadows began to draw towards him, before gathering up in an orb in his hands.

"Behold all the power of the stars!" Jellal said," Altairis!" With that, he launched the orb at Erza. Despite her want to escape, Erza couldn't find herself able to move, and not just because of the Binding Snake that was on her. In fact, Jellal had chosen to remove it for some reason.

"Jellal," she whispered. There was a huge flash of dark light.

**(with the others)**

"What's that light?" Juvia said.

"I don't know," Gray said," But it doesn't look good."

**(with Erza)**

Erza slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm…. alive?" she whispered.

"Er…za," a voice weakly called. Erza looked up, and saw Simon standing in front of her, his arms held up in a protective position.

"Simon!" Erza cried. Jellal shook his head.

"What a fool," he said. Natsu just stared.

"Why would he sacrifice himself to save another?" he asked himself. Simon then fell to the ground.

"Simon!" Erza cried again, as she crawled over to him.

"Are you… alright?" Simon asked weakly, as he looked at the red head.

"Why?" Erza asked, tears dripping down her face from one eye," Just…. why?" Simon smiled at her.

"Don't cry," he said," It ruins the effect your face gives, and its kind of strange seeing it from one side." He then let out a painful grunt.

"Don't talk!" Erza insisted," I'll get help!"

"No need," Simon said," I'm smart enough to know when my time has come, and so you should be too."

"Please!" Erza begged," Don't die!"

"I just want you to know one…. thing," Simon said. With that, he reached for his face.

"I… love… you," he whispered, before his hand fell to the ground.

The world around Erza froze like a stone, as she just stared. Her tears vanished, as she looked at Simon.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" she cried out. Jellal just watched with a dark grin, while Natsu just stared in shock.

"JELLAL!" Erza cried, as she ran at Jellal, not even having any swords. Jellal easily sidestepped her, before kicking her down.

"Please Erza, none of that," he said calmly," I have things to do." With that he turned to a slowly getting up Natsu.

"I initially was planning on using Erza as a sacrifice," Jellal said," Unless I found a greater power." It soon dawned on Natsu.

"You mean…." he asked.

"Indeed," Jellal said, as he stopped," You will suffice." With that, he held up his hand, and dark energy spewed from it, and hit Natsu, who let out a cry.

"Natsu!" Erza cried. She then got up.

"NO!" she said," I won't lose him as well!" She the ran at Jellal, but her legs gave out, and she fell. She weakly looked up.

"Natsu…," she whimpered. As she did, Natsu began to sink into the Lacrima.

"With your death, Zeref shall rise!" Jellal said, as Natsu vanished into it.

"NOOOO!" Erza cried.

**(with the others)**

"I feel something," Lucy said.

"Is it that evil presence?" Sho asked.

"No," Lucy answered," This feels… different."

"How so?" Wally asked.

"It feels… sad."

**(in the Lacrima)**

_Its… cold… _Natsu thought. He was floating through a dark blue abyss, like he was sinking. The light was fading above him.

_I'm alone_ he thought again. As he was thinking, he saw a silhouette of Acnologia, flying away. _Of course I'm alone. Acnologia is gone_ he continued to think, before closing his eyes_ I'm destined, to always be alone….._

**"No!"** a familiar voice cried out. Natsu opened his eyes, and saw the light brightening.

**"Its okay,"** another voice said. Natsu looked closely, and through the light, he saw Erza and Lucy.

**"You don't have to be alone,"** Lucy said, offering a hand.

**"Yes, we can be with you," **Erza said, offering her hand as well. Behind them, Natsu saw the faces of the many people of Fairy Tail. He then slowly reached for the hands.

**(with Erza)**

"No… no… please…. no!" Erza whimpered, as she lay on the ground.

"Stop your whimpering," Jellal said," Its pathetic."

"You… bastard," Erza hissed, as she stared at Jellal.

"Look on the bright side," Jellal said with a smirk," At least we'll be…." Before he could finish, the Lacrima that absorbed Natsu exploded. The two looked at the crystal, and saw black magic energy, with a blue outline appearing from it.

_(Flashback)_

_"Dragon's Eye?" Natsu asked," What's that?"_

_"It is the mightiest technique a Dragon Slayer can possess," Acnologia answered. The two of them were done with training, and they were sitting on a cliff, watching the night sky._

_"If you use Dragon's Eye, you will have all the power of a dragon at your fingertips," the Black Dragon explained. Natsu jumped and down._

_"Teach me it!" he said. Acnologia laughed slightly, before picking Natsu up._

_"I'm afraid Dragon's Eye cannot be taught," he said._

_"It can't?" Natsu asked, as he sat down in Acnologia's claw._

_"No," Acnologia answered," Dragon's Eye must be achieved."_

_"What do you mean, achieved?" Natsu asked. Acnologia looked up at the sky._

_"Someday," he said," You will gain enough power, and you will unlock…."_

_(End Flashback)_

_"… your true power."_

Natsu emerged from the broken crystal, his body consumed in the black magic. He leaned his head up, as he opened one eye, which was glowing. The black energy surged into that eye, before rippling out.

"What is this?" Jellal demanded. Natsu then emerged completely from the dust, and looked straight at Jellal. But his e ye was different. While his left eye was normal, his right eye was now a deep blue, with black circles that resembled ripples, save for the center, where there was a reptilian slit.

"Eye of the Black Dragon."

**Note: I've been looking forward to this for a while. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**I was thinking of having XingLong join Fairy Tail, what do you guys think of that? I figured he could make a good addition, and he's strong enough to join. **

**I am still taking suggestions, and the pairing remains on the table. But it seems it could go either way now**


	29. Eye of the Black Dragon

_**Eye of the Black Dragon**_

"Eye of the Black Dragon?" Erza asked in shock, as she and Jellal stared at Natsu, who was consumed with black magic. His right eye was now glowing blue, with black ripples, and a reptilian slit in the center. Natsu looked at his hand, and clenched it.

"This power…. I can feel it coursing through my body," he said, before looking up at Jellal," This battle is over."

"Don't get cocky," Jellal said, as he began to glow.

"You are certainly one to talk," Natsu countered," But it is no matter…." With that, the magic surged around him like black flames, before it shot at Jellal. But it took a shape, like an enormous claw. The claw was pitch black, except for its blue outlining. The claw reached for Jellal, who shot away with Meteor.

"It is pointless," Natsu said. From the claw's arm, another draconic talon reached out at Jellal. It clenched its fingers into a fist, and smashed into him at full force. Jellal crashed into the ground, grinding against the crystal. He got up, and glared at Natsu.

"What power is that?" Jellal hissed, as he wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"This is the true power of the Black Dragon," Natsu said. The magic energy then flared behind him, reshaping itself, so it resembled wings. Natsu then beat the wings, as he took to the air, before flying towards Jellal.

"I don't think so!" Jellal said," Heavenly Shield!" The golden shield appeared in front of him, but when Natsu hit it, he broke through it like it was nothing. The energy around him then twisted again, forming something that resembled a dragon head, before it rammed Jellal into the ground. Natsu floated back into the air, looking down on Jellal, his Dragon's Eye glowing bright.

Jellal emerged from the remains of the broken crystal, as he glared at Natsu.

"You… bastard," he hissed," I won't let you beat me! Heavenly Spear!" He launched a large glowing spear at Natsu. One of Natsu's dragon talons formed out of magic and caught the spear much to Jellal's shock. The talon then clenched its fingers, and shattered it into pieces.

"This feeling," he said softly. "

Is this… a dragon's true power?" Erza asked herself. Natsu then let out a roar, as the energy around him surged, before taking a form that resembled a black dragon with blue details, as it spread its wings.

**(with the others)**

The people sitting in the boat stared in awe, as the image of the colossal black dragon appeared over the Tower of Heaven.

"Look at that power!" Millianna said.

"That's got to be…," Gray began.

"Natsu," Lucy finished.

**(with Natsu and Erza)**

The large draconic being loomed over Jellal, as the blue-haired teen cringed. _All this magic _Natsu thought _Is this what Acnologia meant by my true power?_

"Heavenly Arrows!" Jellal said, as he held up his hands, and shot beams of light from his hands. However, a dragon talon formed, and swatted them away like they were nothing. The claw then shot towards Jellal, before it changed shape to resemble a dragon's head. The head opened is mouth, apparently intent biting Jellal.

"Meteor!" Jellal said, as he shot away. The head turned to follow him, like a snake. It opened its mouth, and several talons emerged from its open mouth, reaching for Jellal.

"There is no escape," Natsu said, as one of the talons grabbed Jellal's leg, and threw him. Jellal soared through the air, as he smashed into more Lacrima.

Erza could barely believe what she was seeing. Jellal was being pressured by Natsu. Jellal emerged from the rubble, panting, but angry.

"Its not over yet!" he said, as he held up his hands," Grand Chariot!" WIth that, the magical seals appeared around him, before launching themselves at Natsu. Natsu just held up one hand, as the black energy twisted around him like an sphere, as the energy slammed into it, but did nothing. Once the attack dissipated, more dragon talons launched out of the orb, heading towards Jellal.

"Meteor!" Jellal said, as he rocketed away from the talons. The talons, however twisted, and pursued him.

"Chaos Needles," Natsu said. The fingers of the dragon claws then all shot out like spears. Jellal rapidly flew to avoid them, as they penetrated the Lacimra like it was nothing. He then let out a yell, as he shot back at Natsu.

"Heavenly Ram!" Jellal yelled, as he shot full speed towards Natsu. Natsu just looked down on Jellal. He then held up his hand.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield," Natsu said, as a shield formed around him, as Jellal slammed into it at full force. However, it did little against the shield.

"Why can't I get to you!" Jellal cried.

"Is it not obvious?" Natsu answered. The energy around him then shaped itself into what looked like a tail, as it swung down onto Jellal, sending him careening back into the ground.

"You bastard," Jellal said, as he slowly emerged from the rubble.

"I do have to commend you for your endurance," Natsu said," But endurance alone does not when a battle." He then held up both of his hands, as black and blue orbs appeared around Jellal.

"Chaos Flash!" Natsu said. The orbs then burst into energy. Jellal emerged from the dust with his Meteor.

"I won't lose to you!" Jellal cried, as he held up both of his hands," Altairis!" The black orb gathered, before launching at Natsu. Another dragon claw emerged from Natsu's magic energy, as it caught the orb.

"It will take more than that to break off the sheer power of Altaris!" Jellal yelled with a crazy smile. True to his word, Natsu clenched the orb with the talon as much s he could, but it proved to be a lot. But for all the power it had, it still wasn't enough against the power of the Eye of the Black Dragon. The orb broke apart, as Natsu looked down on Jellal.

"Imposs…," Jellal began, before crying out, and using Meteor to blast himself towards Natsu again.

"It is pointless," Natsu said for the second time, as he held both of his hands. From where his hands were both being held, a dragon's head appeared at them. It then opened its mouth, and started to gathered energy within it. Erza recognized that feeling.

"That's his…," she began.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Technique," Natsu said," Chaos Dragon's Ultimate Roar!" As he spoke, the energy exploded out of the dragon head's mouth, and collided into Jellal. The teen felt as though his entire body was being torn apart, as the Chaos Magic blasted him.

"GGAAHH!" he cried, as he was shot into the ground.

**(with the others)**

A side of the Tower exploded suddenly, as there was a large flash of light.

"What was that?" Sho asked.

"It almost felt like Natsu's Chaos Dragon's Roar," Gray answered," Except it was much stronger than normal. And for Natsu, that's saying something."

**(with Natsu and Erza)**

Natsu looked down at Jellal, as Erza stared. Jellal was now unconscious, lying in broken Lacrima crystals. Natsu then floated down to the ground, as he held up a talon, and picked Jellal up.

"Natsu wait!" Erza cried, but Natsu paid no attention.

"Strange," he said," I sense a second presence within you. Something… sinister…" Natsu then held up his hand, and clenched it into a fist.

"Apocalypse Technique: Cleanse," he said. Jellal then suddenly let out a cry, as red energy began to appear around him. Erza stared as the energy began to exit out of his body, through his eye.

Once it was all gone, Natsu dropped Jellal to the ground. He then looked up, and his Dragon's Eye glowed, before magic broke off it, and Natsu's eye turned back to normal.

"Well," he said," That is done." He then looked to Erza.

"Are you going to remain on the ground for all eternity?" he asked sarcastically.

"Your sarcasm won't get me off the ground," Erza answered, as she slowly got up. Natsu rolled his eyes, as he looked at a collapsed Jellal.

"He was possessed by something," he noted.

"Possessed?" Erza asked as she sat up.

"I don't know by what, or who," Natsu answered," But there was definitely a second force in him, influencing him."

"So does that mean that the true enemy is still out there?" Erza asked.

"I'm not…," Natsu began, before he froze.

"What is it?" Erza asked, surprised by his sudden change in mood. Natsu suddenly looked up towards the sky.

**(with the others)**

Lucy suddenly froze as well, as she stared at the sky.

"Was it it?" Juvia asked. As she did, the sky that was over the Tower of Heaven began to glow an ominous red.

"That force I felt," Lucy said slowly," Its here."

**Note: Sorry to leave you hanging. And it seems that the Eye of the Black Dragon now has its title. I've been planning for Natsu to gain such a power since I first started this story, and I figured it would b just as good to give it to him earlier rather than later. I'm also sorry this was so short, but I can only stretch a battle for a certain length. I hope you guys don't think Natsu is too overpowered, but don't worry, I know what I'm doing.**

**But it seems that the strange force that everyone was feeling, has finally arrived. Who, or what, could it be**


	30. The Cursed One

_**The Cursed One**_

The sky over the Tower of Heaven glowed a cruel red, as a great presence descended upon the area.

"Its here…," Lucy murmured," Its… finally here."

"What is it?" Sho asked.

"I don't know," Lucy answered," But its feels immensely powerful."

**(with Natsu and Erza)**

"What's wrong?" Erza asked, as she sat against the Lacrima. She was looking at Natsu, who was staring at the sky. Suddenly, a deep, sinister groan rang across the sky.

"What was that?" Erza said, as she shivered.

"Something is here," Natsu said.

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"I don't know, but the magical aura it is giving is immensely powerful," Natsu said.

**(at the Magic Council)**

"What's taking so long?" Doma demanded," I want the cannon in place!"

"We're sorry sir!" an employee said," But something is interfering with the Etherion." Doma cringed, as he tightened his grip on his staff.

"At the rate this is going the ritual will be complete," he said," How could Jellal have deceived us?"

"Mind projections can be very convincing," Yajima said," But the fact of the matter is that we won't get any further by arguing."

"Lord Doma!" another employee suddenly called.

"What is it?" Doma demanded, not in the mood to deal with more bad news.

"We are detecting an enormous dark magic presence!" the employee said.

"Is it Zeref?" Doma asked, suddenly very nervous.

"I doubt it," Org said," I don't think Jellal could have done it so fast. It is probably remnants of the Etherion or the Tower."

"No! Its…," the employee paused before forcing,"… the Cursed One!"

A shiver suddenly went through the whole hall, as the temperature dropped a few degrees. However, people began to sweat.

Doma was the first to move. He made a fist and held it to his face.

"Cursed be his name," he murmured.

"Cursed be his name," everyone in the hall said in response, as they mimicked Doma's position.

"Have all forces retreat!" Lahar suddenly yelled," Leave anyone who is too slow! Just get out of there!"

"Forget the Etherion!" Doma ordered," Power it down completely, and make sure there is no trace!"

Everyone scrambled around to try and achieve that order. Ultear, from the shadows, just stared, with clenched teeth.

_Jellal you fool! _she thought_ How could you have failed to put in the seals?_

**(with Natsu and Erza)**

Back at the Tower of Heaven, the sky continued to glow red, but it seemed to slowly be intensifying.

"We must go now," Natsu said," Whatever that being is, it feels immensely powerful!"

"Where are we supped to go?" Erza asked, as she tried to stand up.

"I don't know, but anywhere that is away from here is good," Natsu said. He then walked over to Erza, and offered a hand.

"Are you… offering help?" Erza asked in surprise.

"I could just leave you to rot," Natsu said. Erza then slowly took his hand, and he hoisted her up.

"What about Jellal?" Erza asked.

"Leave him," Natsu answered.

"We can't just leave him!" Erza insisted.

"And yet we are," Natsu said," If what you told me about him is true, then I'm confident he can survive."

"Do you even know how to get out of the Tower?" Erza questioned.

"Simple, we'll just fly out," Natsu said, as he headed out towards the edge. Erza followed him, as she watched the red sky.

**(with the others)**

"What's happened to Natsu and Erza?" Gray asked.

"I don't know," Sho said," But we've got to get out of here. It looks like something big is going to go down soon."

"Then we should get out of here," Wally said," Let's get mo…" Before he could finish, the sky began to glow even more intensely then it already was.

"Something is going on up there!" Lucy said.

**(with Natsu and Erza)**

"We've got to go now!" Natsu said, as he looked up at the glowing sky," Whatever is up there, it is getting ready to attack!" He then offered Erza a hand.

"You better hold on," he said. Erza reached for the hand, but then the glow became painfully bright.

Over the tower, a bright red ring made out of magic energy spread out around it.

"What is that?" Erza cried. Before Natsu could attempt to answer, the ring began to collapse into itself, as it began to disappear back into the clouds. There was then a terrifying scream, as a large red beam blasted down from the sky.

"Look out!" Natsu cried, as he tackled Erza, using Chaos Dragon's Flight. The light consumed the tower completely. Through the light, Erza saw Simon, who as still smiling, fade away. Jellal also seemed to fade away.

The Tower of Heaven was then completely consumed by the light.

**(with the others)**

"Natsu!" Lucy cried.

"Erza!" Gray and Sho cried together.

"No!" Millianna cried.

Through the light, the Tower form could be seen, but instead of collapsing or exploding, it seemed to fade away in the light. Then, instead of dissipating, the light seemed to be sucked back into the clouds, to its source. Traces of magical energy also got sucked into the clouds. The red light then began to fade away in the sky.

"Whatever it was, it looks like its going away," Juvia noted.

"But what about Erza?" Wally said.

"And Natsu?" Lucy added.

**(with Natsu)**

**"Natsu,"** a familiar voice said in Natsu's head.

**"Acnologia?"** Natsu answered, trying to find the voice through the darkness.

**"Your time has yet to come, wake!"**

Natsu's eyes then abruptly opened, as he saw a blinding light. But the light soon faded, and he looked around. He was still on the ocean, but the sun was beginning to rise. The red light had vanished, and the being seemed to have left.

"Guys!" several voice cried out. Natsu saw several figures running towards him.

"So you're finally up," a female voice said. Natsu looked up, and saw Erza next to him. It was then that he noticed that she had his arm around her shoulders, and was supporting him.

"Erza…," he murmured," You… saved me?" Erza smiled, and then Natsu saw tears dripping from both eyes, instead of just one.

"Of course," she said," You are one of our comrades." Natsu looked back, and saw Lucy, Gray, Juvia, and Erza's old friends running towards them.

"Comrades?" he murmured.

**Note: So, it seems that the mysterious force was the Cursed One all this time. But who, or what, is the Cursed One?**

**I hope I ended the Tower of Heaven arc is a satisfying fashion. Again, sorry this was so short, but I figured it would make more sense for the Cursed One to have a chapter all for himself. I am still taking suggestions, and the pairing remains on the table.**


	31. Friends

_**Friends**_

The Tower of heaven group floated towards the beach where the resort was.

"Look," Lucy said," Where it all began."

"Acnologia often told me that things end where they begin," Natsu said," Think of it as sort of a circle."

The boat they were piled into finally beached itself against the sand bank.

"What do we do now?" Millianna asked.

"Simple," Erza said, as she got out, and held a thumbs up," We finish our vacation."

"Well, I guess my quest has been resolved," Natsu said, as he also jumped out," I will be on my way."

"Actually, stay with us," Lucy said with a smile," Take a break for once." Natsu turned, and blinked.

"A break?" he echoed.

"Yeah," Gray said," You beat Jellal. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you deserve a break." Natsu looked around, and saw everyone smiling at him warmly.

Natsu then reluctantly cracked a smile.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Erza asked in a rhetorical tone," Are you smiling?"

"Don't push it," Natsu answered.

With that, the group, including Erza's old friends, headed back to the resort.

**(later)**

As the sun began to set on another day, the group, spent the rest of the day goofing off. However, the vast majority was spent trying to "humanize", as Lucy put it, Natsu. Everyone took turn dragging him to do something new.

Erza had Natsu gamble with her, and it produced some interesting results.

_(Flashback)_

_"So the idea is to get as much money as possible," Erza said," Simple enough right?"_

_"I suppose," Natsu agreed. _

_"You can do it Natsu!" Happy said. With that, the two of them got ready. As the game progressed, Erza was surprised to find out that Natsu had a really good poker face, and an even better pair of eyes. By the game came to an end, the two of them had completely trounced their opponents._

_"You're good," Erza said._

_"They liiike each other…."_

_(End Flashback)_

Erza seemed rather displeased that Natsu could outdo her when it came to gambling, but she didn't seem that mad.

While Gray was the most unwilling to actually do something with Natsu, he still managed to do it. And fittingly, Juvia got in on the action.

_(Flashback)_

_"So that's a water slide?" Natsu said, folding his arms," It reminds me of a snake demon I killed once."_

_"Grim statements aside," Gray said," you should have a go at it." Natsu thought about it, before shrugging._

_When the two got up there, Gray was surprised to find Juvia there._

_"My prince!" she cried, as she grabbed Gray's hands," Let us go down together!"_

_"Uh, Juvia," Gray said," This is sort of a one man thing."_

_"But we can hold each other as we slide down to the water!" Juvia insisted, as she grabbed Gray around the waist. Gray grunted, as he tried to push Juvia off. Natsu rolled his eyes._

_"I don't have time for this," he said, a he held up his foot, before kicking them both down._

_(End Flashback)_

Gray wasn't the happiest of people, but Juvia seemed to be in eternal gratitude towards Natsu from one reason or another.

Probably the most interesting result was what Natsu and Lucy did. Lucy had tried to take Natsu shopping, granted the results were rather… mixed.

_(Flashback)_

_Natsu followed Lucy as she lead him through the shopping area. Happy floated over them._

_"I don't see the point of taking this so seriously," Natsu said," The only true necessities to buy are food, clothing, and training equipment."_

_"Its more a sense of necessity," Lucy explained," Think of it as kind of a way of presenting yourself." She then lead him into some kind of clothing store, before ducking into a dressing room. _

_"How does this look?" Lucy asked as she emerged, and took a pose. Natsu looked it over._

_"It does not seem to have any battle purpose," was all he said. Lucy sighed, as she pinched herself between the eyes. Happy snickered._

_"Its not supposed to have a battle purpose," she explained," Its just supposed to look good."_

_"An enemy will not pay attention towards what you wear when you enter battle," Natsu answered._

_"But its not about battle!" Lucy said, waving her arms._

_"Isn't everything?" Natsu asked._

_"No!"_

_"They liiike each other…."_

_"Shut up you!"_

_(End Flashback)_

Looking back, Lucy decided that she had enjoyed herself while doing that. It also helped that when she was nearly mugged, Natsu beat them up like it was nothing.

"I guess that was fun," she said to herself, as she sat at the dinner table. The entire Tower of Heaven group was present, and Wally was telling some kind of a story, which Erza expected was more than a little exaggerated.

"And then I encountered the sinister leader of the bandits!" Wally said," Being the dandy guy I am, I refused to let them get their way! So I took my power, and crushed them! And I gave The whole gang was laughing, save Natsu, who seemed to be quietly observing.

That proved to be a surprise, for Gray and Erza, since while he was quiet like normal, he would typically just ignore them, like when they were at the a warning that if they messed with me again, I would not be so dandy!"

"You're acting surprisingly open," Erza said to Natsu.

"I have been taught that is importantly to always observe," Natsu answered, before standing up," But I believe I have observed enough." With that, he walked out of the room.

"Where you going, dragon boy?" Wally asked," Don't you want to hear the rest of this dandy story?" But Natsu was already gone.

"To think that he beat Jellal," Sho said," Its kind of scary."

"Yeah, it is pretty scary, meow," Millianna agreed.

"Just how did he do it?" Lucy asked. Erza chuckled slightly.

"You have to see it to believe it," she answered.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu looked over the sea, as the sun started to set on another day. He looked at his hand.

"What is this feeling?" he asked himself," It feels… strange. And yet…." Natsu caught himself on a pause, as he looked up at the sea.

"It feels the same as when I was with Acnologia."

**(with the others)**

"So he unlocked Dragon's Eye?" Happy asked.

"Yeah," Erza said," Once he did, he completely kicked Jellal's ass."

"Wow," Juvia said," Remind me not to get on his bad side." She then swooned at Gray.

"But you will protect me, right my Prince?"

"I don't think I could take on Natsu either," Gray said," If he beat Jellal so easily with that power, odds are he could beat me with even less effort."

**(later that night)**

It was late in the night, and Sho, Millianna, and Wally were all getting ready to leave.

"So you guys are just going to leave?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Sho said," Not much more for us to do."

"You could join Fairy Tail," Gray suggested.

"Nah," Wally said," We aren't really guild people when you think about it."

"But you can't just go away," Lucy insisted.

"Its okay," Erza said. Everyone turned. The red head had been in the background for most of the time, as if internally debating what to do. She then softly smiled.

"As long as we're all free," Erza said," I'll be happy." She then smiled with a broader expression.

"Besides, aren't you all forgetting that we took out a guy's eye?" she joked," That should be memory enough." Everyone laughed about it.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu, from the rooftop, watched the three sail away. He saw the others on the beach waving after them.

"Is this what it means to be… comrades?" he mused.

**Note: This was sort of just a filler chapter, and the next one may or may not be one as well. The Fighting Festival will be next, and I am taking suggestions as to how I can start it.**

**Talking about pairings, let me list some of the pros people have listed for Erza and Lucy.**

**Lucy: The recurring theme people talk about with Lucy, is that since she represents light, she could be a good fit for Natsu. Basically, she could be a way for Natsu to soften up more.**

**Erza: The main idea of Erza is that she is a good fit for Natsu because she is serious like he is.**

**I don't know, I'm still really on the fence with this topic**


	32. Shooby Do Bop

_**Shooby Do Bop**_

"Here we are!" Erza declared, as the mages and the cat arrived at the guild," Home sweet home!"

"It looks much bigger," Lucy noted. And it was. Apparently since the Phantom Lord squabble, the guild had been completely redesigned. It now looked twice its normal size.

"It looks the same to me," Natsu answered," But then again, its not like I have been here that much."

The group then entered the gates, and were surprised to see how much the guild had really changed. There was now a form of courtyard at first, with food stands on small shops.

"Gray, Erza!" a voice called over. Everyone looked, and saw Max at one of the stands.

"Max!" Gray said, as everyone, save Natsu went over there," Its been a long time!"

"Likewise," Max agreed.

"What is with all these renovations?" Lucy asked, looking around.

"Well, the Master decided that we needed to expand, so he had the guild hall completely rebuilt," Max continued," He even installed a pool." He pointed, and the group saw a large pool in one area of the guild. Bisca and Alzack were fooling around in the pool, as was Macao's son, Romeo.

"It looks really good," Juvia said.

"It sure does," Max said," And the Master even had us open a more business side, such as selling products."

"The quests aren't bringing in enough money?" Erza asked.

"I guess not," Max answered," So he's having us start selling this Lucy Doll!" He then held a scantily clothed doll of Lucy. Happy floated up, and held it up.

"Look Lucy!" he said," Its even got a detachable shirt!" The blonde sweat-dropped.

"I guess I'm the only one who finds that more than a little creepy."

"It is rather bizarre," Natsu said, as he walked up.

"Natsu!" Max said, as he jumped up, and hid behind the counter.

"Relax," Lucy said," He's with us now." Unfortunately, that did little to dissuade sand mage to come out of hiding.

"Its no matter," Natsu said, as he walked away.

"Natsu, wait…," Lucy began, but Gray stopped her.

"Let him do what he wishes for the time being," he said,.

They then walked into the guild hall, seeing that it had nearly tripled in size.

"Wow, look at this place," Juvia said," Its huge!"

"It sure is," Lisanna said as she walked over to them, carrying a tray with drinks," After Phantom Lord destroyed the guild hall, the Master decided to remodel the whole thing."

"And I don't regret it in the least," Makarov said as he strolled forward, with a satisfied expression. He then turned towards Juvia.

"How did you like your first big quest as part of the guild?" he asked.

"It was great!" Juvia said," And did you find him?"

"I certainly did," Makarov answered.

"And so far I'm not impressed," an all too familiar voice said. Everyone froze, and turned. Sitting there, was Gajeel.

"Redfox!" Erza said, as she and Gray took a battle stance. Happy and Lucy hid behind Lisanna.

"Stop!" Juvia said, as she jumped in front of Gajeel," I invited him to join!"

"Not that it should discourage you," Gajeel said as he grinned darkly.

"Enough, everyone!" Makarov said," I made it so that he would join!"

"But Master…," Erza began.

"No buts!" Makarov interjected," Fairy Tail does not turn away a person in need! No matter who that person is!" The group sighed.

"Yes, Master," they all said.

"Good! Now I want all of you to get along!" Makarov said, with a firm nod. Erza and Gray glared at Gajeel, who just sneered back at them.

"ERZA!" an angry female voice cried, as Mirajane rocketed towards Erza. On reflex, Erza held up her sword, to deflect Mira's claws.

"I heard you were beaten rather easily by that Jellal guy!" Mira said," You're losing your touch!"

"Not with you I'm not!" Erza retorted, as she kicked Mirajane away. Lisanna sighed, as she shook her head.

"I had asked her to give Gajeel and Juvia a welcoming song," she said," Now who's going to do it."

"I could always get…," Lucy began, but a spotlight suddenly shone on a stage that was put in. Sitting on a chair, with a guitar, and a harmonica, in a white suede suit and hat, was Gajeel.

"EH!" everyone cried out.

"What's he doing up there?" Macao snapped.

"I wrote this song myself," Gajeel said, as he strummed the guitar briefly," Its called _Best Friend_." With that, he gab to sing, in a surprisingly proud voice.

_"Colorful, colorful, shooby do bop!" _he sung, as he strummed the guitar_," Tremble with love, gray steel, and metallic, shooby do bop!"_

"He's not half bad!" Elfman said.

"Go for it Gajeel!" Juvia cried out. People soon began throwing things at Gajeel, as he began to play the harmonica.

"Will somebody shut him up?!" Gray demanded, as he abruptly stood. As he did, he bumped into Erza. That caused her to drop her cake.

"My… cake…," she stuttered, as she shook. It didn't help when Elfman slammed his foot down.

"Real men must fight!" he roared. In his pride, he failed to notice a raging red head.

"You oaf!" Erza cried, as she kicked Elfman, sending him flying.

From that, the entire guild exploded into a all out brawl. Everything from mugs to food to bolts of magic flew through the air.

Lucy and Happy, who had taken shelter behind the counter, both sighed.

From the beams up on the ceiling, Natsu watched in silence.

**Note: This was pretty much just filler, and the way to introduce Gajeel into the guild. That said, I don't know if its that good. I could still use ideas on how to begin the Fighting Festival arc**


	33. The Thunder God Tribe

_**The Thunder God Tribe**_

"The Fantasia Festival is coming up?" Lucy asked.

"It is," Lisanna confirmed as she wiped the counter down, and cleaned some glasses," It is one of the biggest things in the guild. Nobody ever misses it." Lucy smiled excitedly.

"I've been looking forward to the festival," she said," Ever since I decided I want to join Fairy Tail!"

"It is quite a sight," Lisanna said," The whole guild is going to be there." She then paused, and looked into space as if thinking.

"Maybe even…," she then shook her head," No, its not like them."

"Who are you talking about?" Lucy asked as she leaned forward, curious.

"The Thunder God Tribe," Lisanna answered," You never heard about them?"

"I heard about them, but I've never actually seen them," Lucy responded.

"They are a team who follow Laxus," Lisanna explained," They're pretty strong."

"How strong are they?"

"While one of them could give Mirajane a run for her money," Happy said," they aren't strong enough to beat her, or Erza, much less Natsu. The catch is they are all followers of Laxus."

"Laxus?" Lucy asked.

"That should be enough to say about them anyway," Lisanna said

"Why do they never show up?" Lucy asked.

"Laxus disagrees with a lot of the Master's positions," Lisanna answered," Sometimes things can get a little ugly."

"By Fairy Tail standards, that has to be saying something."

**(somewhere)**

The guild Vampire Fang was a dark guild. While it was certainly not a major dark guild, a dark guild was still a dark guild, and they had to be eliminated. And as fate would have it…

"No please!" one guy cried as he crawled backwards on the floor. A pair of boots landed in front of him. On top of those boots, was a tall man, with long green hair covering his right eye. He had a red coat on, and was carrying a rapier.

"Why would I show mercy to weaklings like you?" the man asked. Then, out of nowhere, a second man jumped, aiming to bring a sword down on the swordsman. As he did though, a blast of magic shot at him, and knocked him away. The green-haired guy sneered.

"Your aim seems to be slacking, Bixlow," he said.

"Heh! Heh! Heh!" a man who was even taller laughed, as he emerged from behind a large beam. He had a black and white striped shirt on, and he was wearing a helmet that hid his face.

"Chill out Freed," the man, Bixlow said," My babies are just tired!" A bunch of strange wooden dolls then surrounded him.

"Tired! Tired!" they echoed.

"It is no excuse," the first guy, Freed, answered.

"What a way to fight," a female voice said. Freed and Bixlow looked up, and saw a women with a green dress and a fan floating down.

"What took you, Evergreen?" Bixlow asked with a smirk.

"I had to deal with some of the lackeys of this guild," Evergreen said, as she collapsed her fan, and landed on the ground," The challenge was about the equivalent of fighting a few rocks, and at least rocks can be hard to break sometimes." The rest of the dark guild that was still standing was staring in shock.

"Run!" one of them cried, as they made a break for the door. But as they were running, there was a flash of light, and when it faded, standing there was a big man with blonde hair and headphones.

"Is that….," one guy asked. Laxus grinned wickedly.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"Didn't you tell me Laxus once beat Natsu?" Lucy asked Happy as he was snacking on a fish.

"Aye," Happy said as he gulped down its tail," But it wasn't really a win, more like Natsu sort of lost interest. But Laxus almost beat him. Some people say it counts a victory."

"Its the closest anyone has ever got to beating Natsu," Erza said, as she polished one of her swords. She then stood, and put a fist on her chest.

"And of course, I was in second place!" she declared.

"What are you talking about, Erza?!" Mirajane demanded as she jumped onto the table, and faced Erza head on," Everyone knows I've came closer to beating Natsu!"

"Liar!" Erza cried, as the two teens began to have another cat fight.

"Arguing over a loss?" Lucy said, with a sweat drop," I don't know if I should pity or shock."

"In their defense," Gray said," they both have always had a great ambition to beat Natsu. Just the slightest improvement over the last fight can have a big effect."

"No kidding," Lucy said," By the way, where is Natsu?"

"I haven't seen him for a while," Gray said," Frankly though, I don't care." He then stood, and walked away. Lucy didn't feel the need to tell him that he had left his pants behind. Odds are Juvia would find out and "inform" him soon enough. And she did, of course.

As Gray was struggling to escape from the water mage's grasp, and Erza and Mirajane were still fighting, Lucy sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

"Natsu," she whispered.

**(at Vampire Fang)**

At was once a dark guild, all that was left was a pile of scorched rubble and bodies. Standing over them, was Laxus, with a large, but evil, smile.

"I think we've waited long enough," he said, still smiling. Freed cleared his throat, showing a green Fairy Tail mark on his hand. Bixlow stuck out his tongue in a mad smile, showing a blue mark. Evergreen folded his arms, showing a golden mark on her breast.

"Its time to move," Laxus said, as electricity crackled through the air around him," To take the guild, and to finally beat Natsu."

**Note: Sorry for the wait, but I was very blocked. I am still pretty blocked, and I could really use some suggestions on what I can do next. I introduced the Thunder God Tribe the best I could, and I'm not sure if it was good. Oh well, I hoped you liked it.**

**The paring is still in the air, and is still pretty much split between Lucy and Erza**


	34. Let the Festival Begin

_**Let the Festival Begin!**_

Lucy yawned, as she got out of bed and stretched. It was another day in Magnolia, but today was something special.

_(Flashback)_

_"Are you going to participate in the modeling contest?" Lisanna asked._

_"What modeling contest?" Lucy asked in her own right. Lisanna smiled, as she reached under the counter, and held up a magazine that showed Erza._

_"On every Fantasia Festival, the girls of Fairy Tail get together for a modeling contest," Lisanna explained," The winner gets two hundred thousand jewels!" That was when Lucy really perked up._

_"Did you say two hundred thousand jewels!?" she asked, as jumped up._

_"Yeah," Lisanna answered with a nod._

_"Then you can guarantee that I'm going to be coming!" Lucy declared._

_"Good luck," Lisanna said with a smile," I'm not going to be competing though."_

_"Why not?" Lucy asked. Lisanna shrugged._

_"I guess I'm not really up to having guys leer at me while I prance around like a doll," Lisanna said," Though Mira and Erza are going to be competing."_

_"Well that doesn't bolster confidence," Lucy said, as she slumped on the stool._

_(End Flashback)_

"I've got to win that prize money!" she declared. And, in all probability, she had the best reason for wanting it. She was running rather low when it came to rent, so she definitely needed that money. Unfortunately, Erza and Mirajane were also supposed to be competing. That probably put Lucy at more than a little disadvantage.

Putting those thoughts out of her head, she headed to the guild. When she got there, she saw that everyone in the guild was setting up for the contest, as well as the festival itself. Lucy saw a lot of people talking with enthusiasm, and she saw Erza, so she headed over to her.

"Erza!" she called. The red head looked up, and saw the blonde coming over.

"Lucy!" Erza said," Welcome!"

"Everyone seems to be excited for the festival," Lucy said looking around.

"It is one of the most popular events in the guild," Erza said," Everyone in Magnolia has been looking forward to it." Lucy looked around.

"Is Natsu here?" she asked. Erza shook her head.

"I haven't seen him so far today," she answered.

"I did!" Happy said as he floated over.

"Where was he?" Lucy asked, as Happy landed on the table.

"I saw him when I got here early," the blue cat answered," I didn't try and go to him, but it looked like he was doing some thinking. It looked like he was going to the library."

"Well, Natsu can do all the thinking he wants," Erza said," The rule of thumb at this guild when it comes to Natsu is that if we don't bother him, he doesn't bother us."

**(with Natsu)**

Down under the guild, in the Fairy Tail archives, Natsu was looking at books. His primary thought, was on the "Cursed One". Ever since the destruction of the Tower of Heaven at its dark hand, he had been wondering about. He did faintly remember hearing Acnologia mention it on a passing, but nothing truly further than that.

Eventually, Natsu pulled down a book entitled _Chronicles of Fiore_. He opened it up, and flipped through it, before he came across an article about the Cursed One. Sitting down at the desk, and putting his book in front of him, Natsu began to read with great intent.

_"Throughout the history of Fiore, there have been few beings who have reached the true terror that the 'Cursed One' has been said to bring. The history of the Cursed One is unknown, for no one has ever found the courage to ever seek the answers for themselves. Not even its name, if it even has one, is publicly spoken. The shape of the being is also unknown, as it has never descended from the clouds. It has only appeared as that ominous red glow in the heavens. It is said that it is the form the gods take when they got angry, and intend on punishing humanity for their crimes. Or maybe it is the spawn of Zeref, searching for its master. Perhaps…."_

Natsu was broken from his reading, when he smelled something. He looked up, and sniffed the air. It was a familiar scent, but it wasn't his concern. So he went back to his book.

**(with the girls)**

The contest was about to begin, and all the participating girls were getting ready. Lucy jumped from foot to foot backstage, feeling nervous.

"Relax," Levy said, as she walked up next to Lucy, and patted her on the shoulder," The worse thing that can happen is that you won't come in first."

"Given my current financial situation, that could be pretty bad," Lucy said, as she slouched. Levy chuckled.

"If you are so concerned with money," she said," You could take more missions."

"I don't think I'm good for solo missions," Lucy said, as she slouched. Levy gave a mischievous grin.

"Are you saving your missions for Natsu?" she asked.

"Levy!" Lucy cried, as the blue haired girl walked away, chuckling.

**(with the others)**

"Ladies and gentlemen of Fairy Tail!" Max announced from the stage," Let me be the first to kick off the festival!" The whole guild cheered.

"And what festival would it be without some competition?" Max said," So let's get cracking with the Ms. Fairy Tail contest!" The guild, mostly the guys, cheered again.

"First up, we have the Mistress of Cards, Cana Alberona!" Max said. The auburn haired woman took the stage, with a pose, and a grin. The men whistled and roared at her appearance.

"You're wooed now, huh?" Cana said, her grin turning mischievous," Then you haven't seen anything yet!" With that, her cards floated around her, before glowing, and consuming Cana in light. When it faded, Cana was now in a two piece bathing suit.

"Hate to start the contest off so highly!" Cana declared, with a wink. The men cheered again.

"Up next we have the Woman of Water, Juvia Lockser!"

The young blue-haired woman came up, wearing her general attire.

"Juvia will dedicate this to you, my Prince!" she declared, as her body got swallowed with water. When she emerged, she was also in a bathing suit. The men seemed as wooed as they were with Cana.

"For crying out loud, Gray!" a black haired man with large lips named Warren said," Why haven't you taken Juvia yet?"

"No kidding!" Elfman said," A real man knows when to take his woman!"

"That girl is not my woman!" Gray declared. **(yet)**

"Coming in third place is Transformation Mage Extraordinaire, Mirajane Strauss!" Max said, as he held out his hand. Mirajane didn't so much as come onto stage, as she dropped down, with a tough grin.

"I'm going to finish this here and now!" the white-haired woman said, with a smirk, before she held up her arms, and her body glowed. When the glow went away, Mirajane had turned into a cat girl.

"Meow," was all she said, as the guys howled.

"How am I going to top that?" Lucy groaned from back stage. From next to her, Erza smirked, as she patted Lucy's back in what was supposed to be a supporting way. Unfortunately, there was too much force. As Lucy managed to get up from the ground, Erza jumped over her.

"Holding the slot of number four, is Fairy Tail's Titania, Erza Scarlet!" Max said. Erza held up her arms, and spun, as she literally glowed. When it faded, she was in Gothic Lolita.

"Have mercy," Lucy moaned, nearly banging her head on the floor.

"In sixth, we have our little bookworm, Levy McGarden!" Max said.

"Go Levy!" Jet and Droy roared from the audience. Gajeel was watching Levy with interest.

"What's with you Gajeel?" Gray asked.

"Nothing," Gajeel quickly said.

"They liiike each other," Happy said. The answer Gajeel gave was an iron pole in the face.

"Time to give you a written report!" Levy said, as she pulled out her pen and paper, and flashed the pen across the manuscript. WIth that, the sky lit up around her with the words "Fairy Tail" flashing around her. The crowd cheered, which drowned out Lucy's moans and groans.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu looked up at the ceiling, to where the people all were. He rolled his eyes, as he tore out a few pages, and packed them into his ears. It didn't do all he would have preferred, but it was better than nothing.

**(with the rest)**

"In seventh, is the cowgirl Bisca Mulan!"

The green haired, hatted woman took the stage with her rifle.

"I'm going to show you all a scene!" Bisca declared, as she held up four coins and threw them into the air. She then pointed her gun, and fired once. Bisca then held up her hand, and caught the coins. Each one of them had a hole in it.

"Go Bisca!" Alzack said. Bisca winked at her partner.

"I take it back, its more surprising that Bisca and Alzack aren't together," Wakaba said.

After Bisca went backstage, it was Lucy's turn. She took a breath, and got her keys out.

"And last but without a doubt not least, is our newest member, Lucy Heartfi…," Max began.

"NO!" Lucy screamed, as she jumped out," Don't say my last name!" After that, she took a pose with one of her keys.

"Time to get this contest started for real!" she said," Open, Gate of the Twin Fish, Pisces!" With that, the two black and white fish circled around int he air around Lucy, as Lucy spun around dramatically, and the fish formed a heart around her. The audience cheered, as Lucy smiled, starting to feel hope again.

"Well, that's everyone," Max said," Now the judges…"

"The victor has been decided!" a new voice said, as a green form dropped down. When people looked, they saw a woman in a green dress with golden hair, and a fan.

"The most beautiful of all Fairy Tail!" the woman said.

"Evergreen?" Max said.

"When did she get back?" Wakaba asked.

"What are you doing?" Lucy demanded. Evergreen just smirked at her, and put her hands on her glasses.

"Lucy, look away!" Gray yelled.

Evergreen took off her glasses, and looked into Lucy's eyes. In an instant, Lucy was stone.

**Note: Sorry this took so long, but I think I might need some more patient readers. This was an arc I've always feared doing. I mean, I've got Oracian Seis, and others figured out, but this is one I was worried about. I'm still in block with it.**

**The pairing is also on the table, and I would like to establish that the poll was not meant as a voting thing. It was to see what people think. I was not going to bind myself to that poll. That said, it could be anyone. Lucy, Erza, in fact I've even been partial to Kagura.**

**Always taking ideas people, and try to be patient.**


	35. Battle of Fairy Tail

_**The Battle of Fairy Tail**_

"Evergreen?" Warren said.

"When did she get back?" Wakaba asked.

"What is the meaning of this, Evergreen?!" Makarov demanded as he jumped onto the stage.

"No need to get riled up," Evergreen said, as she adjusted her glasses, "I am just doing what I was told." With that, she gestured, as the curtains rose. When they did, it revealed all the competing girls were in the same state of Lucy: solid rock. Even Erza and Mira were caught in Evergreen's deadly gaze.

"Bisca!" Alzack cried.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy cried together.

"Juvia!" Gray said.

"Mira!" Lisanna cried. Elfman, was strangely silent, but his fists were clenched so hard, they were shaking.

"What have you done?" Makarov roared.

"We have our orders," Bixlow said, as he seemed to materialize on the railing.

"Orders! Orders!" Bixlow's dolls chanted.

"From who?" Makarov said, as he clenched his fists.

"It should be obvious," Fried said, as he dropped from the ceiling, "There has only ever been one who we are willing to follow."

"Stop stalling!" Makarov yelled, "Why are you here?"

"Simple!" a fourth voice said.

"Is that…," Max said slowly. A bolt of lightning then struck down onto the stage. When the dust cleared, the one standing there was none other than Laxus.

"Laxus!" Makarov said.

"That's my name!" Laxus said, "But is that anyway to greet one of your S-Class?" He looked around.

"Quite a crowd around here," he said, "Though it is the Festival."

Makarov's body began to shake, as he suddenly, and almost literally, exploded. He grew to giant size, as he looked down at the blonde mage.

**"State your business!"** he roared. However, what would normally intimidate anyone else, did not even make Laxus blink. If anything, he just smiled his usual dark smile.

"Just a little contest," he said calmly, "Something to get Fairy Tail back on its feet."

**"What is that supposed to mean?"** Makarov rumbled.

"Simple," Laxus said, before holding up his fist, "I'm going to make sure that Fairy Tail is never looked down upon again! And to do that…" His wicked grin then grew.

"I'm going to hold a battle to determine who is truly the strongest!" he declared, "The weak will be weeded out, and only the strong will survive!" Everyone was in shock at that statement. Laxus was basically telling them to turn on each other, something that all of Fairy Tail would never do in their right mind.

**"Turn them back or else!"** Makarov roared, as he held up his enormous fist.

"I'd say 'or else what', but I know what the alternative is," Laxus said, as his eyes flashed. Light then gathered up above them. In, literally, a flash of light, a bolt of electricity shot down towards Lucy.

"Lucy!" Happy cried. Fortunately, it hit the ground mere inches from Lucy. But everyone knew that was no accident. If Laxus wanted that to hit Lucy, it would have. Laxus then slung an arm around Lucy's shoulder.

"So, I think the point is made," Laxus said, "These girls are my liability."

"Liability?" Wakaba echoed.

"Precisely," Laxus answered, "Let's just say I can't guarantee their safety, if my demands aren't met." He then leapt back, to join the rest of his team.

"Besides, its not like its complicated," he explained, "The last one standing, is the strongest!"

Those words set in around the whole guild, as they all stared at the blonde haired man. The silence was suddenly broken by Makarov, as he roared, and charged. Laxus just grinned, as he lit up. A light brighter than almost anything the guild had seen before (Gray thought the light from the Tower of Heaven was brighter), filled the entire guild, blinding everyone briefly. When it faded, and the people could see again, Laxus was gone.

"Let the battle begin!" Laxus voice broke out. It didn't take long for people to take up the challenge.

"Those bastards!" Elfman said, "I'm going to make them pay for what they did!"

"And I'm going to help you!" Lisanna said, as she followed her brother. Normally, she did not fight, but this was personal. As the people were charging out of the guild, Alzack stayed at the stage, and looked at the statue that was at one point, Bisca.

"I'm going to save you Bisca," he declared, "No matter what!" After that, he charged after everyone else.

"That damn brat!" Makarov cried, as he shrunk back to his normal size, "I'll show him what happens when you mess with me!" He then ran towards the door, only to run face first into what looked like thin air.

"What the…," he grunted.

"Stop fooling around, old man!" Gray said, as he stood in front of Makarov.

"Who's fooling around?" Makarov responded, as he pushed against the force, "There's an invisible wall here!"

"You kidding?" Gray asked, as he jumped inside, and outside the guild hall, "There isn't anything at all! Let's go!" He then grabbed Makarov's arms, as he started to tug. However, no matter what he did, there was nothing he could do to push through the barrier.

Eventually, runes lit to life in the air.

"Those ruins," Gray said.

"Freed," Makarov growled, "This is his doing." Sure enough, the entire door way was glowing with the red symbols.

"What is this?" Gray asked.

"Some kind of enchantment," Makarov answered, "Nobody can leave without Freed's consent. Looks like the girls aren't Laxus' only liability."

"Those ruins say that stone statues, and people over eighty can't leave," Gray said, before blinking, and looking at Makarov, "You're that old?" The answer he got was a giant boot to the rear.

"Get fighting!" Makarov said, "I need to figure this out!" Gray rubbed his head, as he looked back into the guild.

_Juvia_ he thought, before shaking his head, and running to meet the challenge.

"Good luck, Gray!" Happy called, as he fluttered over Makarov.

Back in the guild, Makarov sat on the floor, as he pinched himself on the bridge of the nose.

"This is bad," he mused. Laxus was one of the guild's strongest members, with only a select few able to challenge him. Makarov looked towards Erza, who might have been able to take down Laxus with some help, and Natsu and Gildarts were also able to beat Laxus. The problem was, one was incapacitated, and the other two were no where to be found.

"What do we do, Master?" Happy asked.

"Damn," Makarov said, "is there anything we can do?"

"Master?" a weak voice called. Makarov turned, and saw the spherical body of Reedus hiding behind a pillar.

"Reedus?" Happy asked.

"I managed to hide from Laxus," Reedus explained, "I don't want to fight anyone." Makarov was half inclined to kick him out of the guild to fight like he did to Gray, but he got a better idea.

"You know where Porlyusica is?" he asked.

"Of course," Reedus answered with a nod.

"Good," Makarov said, "She's probably the only one who can find a way to get of this conundrum. Go find her."

"Uh… I'll try," Reedus answered weakly, as he started out of the guild.

"So he's back," an all to familiar voice said, causing everyone to whirl around. Sitting on a table was Natsu.

"I've been looking for a chance to fight him again," he said, "I am curious as to how he's grown as a fighter." He then jumped off the table, and headed towards the door.

_Well, I suppose that's one problem solved_ Makarov thought to himself. Unfortunately, with a "bang", Natsu slammed against the barrier.

**Note: Well, you've begged, and you've pleaded, but here it is, the next chapter. I hope it was satisfactory. I cut it short so I could satisfy my readers. I am taking ideas, and the pairing remains on the table.**


	36. Fairy Eat Fairy

**Fairy Eat Fairy**

"EH!" Makarov, Happy, and Reedus cried in unison.

"What the hell?" Natsu said, as he stepped back, rubbing his head, before slamming his fist against the barrier.

"Are you over eighty?" Happy asked.

"Of course not," Natsu answered, as he looked over the barrier, "But there has never been an enchantment that could stop me!" He then gathered up energy in his fist.

"One blast should do it," he said, as he got ready to release the energy.

"Stop this minute!" Makarov declared, as he jumped in front of Natsu.

"Why?" Natsu asked, blinking.

"Do that, and the opposing force could shatter the girls completely," Makarov said, "I for one, I am not up for taking that risk! Besides, Freed's runes are stronger than you may give them credit for."

"I would happily listen to any alternative option you might have," Natsu said.

"I do have one, as a matter of fact!" Makarov said, before looking towards Reedus," Find Porlyusica! She might have something that can reverse the effect of Evergreen's magic."

"Okay!" Reedus said, as he drew the image of a chariot onto his gut. It then sprung to life, and Reedus jumped onto it, and road away.

"If he fails," Natsu said, "I am going to try to force the barrier down no matter what."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Makarov answered.

**(in Magnolia)**

"Where did that bastard go?" Alzack growled, as he tightened his grip on his pistol.

"Alzack!" Jet and Droy called, as they ran over.

"Have you seen any of them?" Alzack asked, turning to face them.

"Not a trace," Jet answered," Though when they don''t want to be found, they won't be."

"Of all the times for Natsu to be gone," Droy said.

"I'll be damned if I let Natsu be the only one who saves those girls," Alzack said, narrowing his eyes," So I need to find Laxus!" He then ran down the street, before slamming into yet another barrier.

"What the hell?" he said as he peeled his face off the "wall". Criss-crossing the barrier, were glowing red runes.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say that's one of Freed's enchantments," Jet said. As the two looked over the wall, a set of sudden fear suddenly dawned on them. It was not the barrier itself that caused it, it was the runes that crossed along it. They read: _If two or more people come within these runes, then they must fight until only one is still capable of fighting_. This would only mean one thing.

"We have to fight," Droy said slowly.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

Back in Fairy Tail, the wall that prevented Natsu and Makarov from leaving had also lit up with runes. The runes read _Fight: Alzack vs. Jet vs. Droy_.

"What's that?" Happy asked.

"Laxus is adding new rules to this conflict," Makarov said, "Though I'm not sure why."

"I do," Natsu said slowly, as he narrowed his eyes.

**(in the center of Magnolia)**

From the top of the church in the center of town, Laxus stood on top of the bell tower. From his view, he could see almost all parts of the town. All around, he could see people trapped within Freed's barriers. He was smiling cunningly.

"The only way to ensure that we rise to the top, is if we have strong mages," Laxus mused, "The best way to obtain strong mages, is to…"

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"… fight to the last man," Natsu said, "That is his ultimate plan."

"That's crazy!" Happy said, "Good thing Lucy isn't here."

"Good thing she didn't hear you say that," Natsu said.

"Laxus!" Makarov growled, his voice dangerously low.

**(in Magnolia)**

"Damn them!" Jet said, as he slammed his fists into the wall, "What are we supposed to do?"

"Any ideas Alzack?" Droy asked, as he turned. However, the gun mage was standing perfectly still, his eyes obscured by shadows.

"What's with you?"

"Bisca," he said softly.

"What?" Jet said.

"I've got to save Bisca." With that, Alzack held up his gun.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

The fight apparently didn't take long. Soon, the runes changed, saying_ Victor: Alzack_.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Natsu said, "Those two always struck me as being rather feeble."

"Now's not the time!" Makarov snapped, "We need to figure this out."

"I still stand with the idea of simply trying to blast through the barrier," Natsu said, folding his arms.

"Not a chance," Makarov said, as he looked directly at Natsu.

**(somewhere in Magnolia)**

"Purple Rain!" Macao said, as he held up his hands. Blasts of purple fire zoomed through the air. Wakaba rolled out of the way.

"Smoky Fists!" he said. With that, the smoke from his cigar, formed multiple fists. They then shot themselves at Macao. Macao threw up his arms, as the fire attempted to block the fists. While most of the damage was absorbed, the fists' sheer force leaked through. This pushed Macao away.

"Purple Beam!" Gathering up the fire over his head, he then blasted it at Wakaba. The smoker tried to create a shield of smoke, but the more powerful fire managed to break the wall. Wakaba was blasted into the nearest building, sending the citizens of Magnolia scattering.

_Victor: Macao_

**(somewhere else in Magnolia)**

"Sand Slash!" Max said. The sand he conjured up lashed through the air, slamming into Laki, and into a stand with cabbages. Laki winced, as she emerged from the pulp.

"You'll have to do better than that," Max said.

"I intend to!" Laki said," Wood Make: The Word of Death!" Several hands of wood then exploded from the ground, beneath Max. This sent him flying into the sky.

"Wall of Sand!" he said, as he tried to form a cushion from his fall, but Laki had expected that.

"Wood Make: The Damn of Shy Love!" she said. The wood then burst up, causing Max to crash into them.

_Victory: Laki_

**(at the edge of Magnolia)**

Reedus dropped off his chariot, as the magic finally wore off.

"Of all the times," he grumbled, as he started running, only to slam into a barrier. That only meant one thing.

"I'm afraid this has to be kept in the borders," Freed said as he gracefully landed on the ground behind Reedus.

"Freed!" Reedus said as he quickly stood up.

"Laxus wants this to be a strictly Fairy Tail affair," Freed continued, as he drew his sword," That said, we can't have you alerting Porlyusica, or anyone else on the outside."

**(at Fairy Tail)**

_Fight: Reedus vs. Freed_

"Oh no!" Makarov said.

"You should have expected this," Natsu said, "Laxus is smart enough to expect things like this." In almost an instant, the runes changed to _Victor: Freed_.

"Big surprise," Natsu said, as he took a stance, "Now we do it my way!" Suddenly, Makarov jumped in front of him.

"Stand down," he said darkly.

"It is either that, or we let Laxus have his fun," Natsu responded, "I am not about to let that happen."

"Natsu, if you…," Makarov began.

"What about Gajeel?" Happy interrupted. Both men turned to Happy, who was pointing. Emerging from behind the counter, his mouth full of silverware, was Gajeel.

"Why are you eating all the utensils!" Makarov cried in dismay.

"Gotta keep my strength up," Gajeel said, grinning, "Don't worry, I'll handle this."

With that, he started to head towards the door, intent on settling the conflict. Unfortunately, fate had different plans. With the exact same "BANG" as Natsu made, Gajeel slammed into the barrier.

Natsu face palmed in an uncharacteristic lack of dismay. Makarov and Happy were less subtle.

"EH!" they cried.

"What's going on?" Gajeel said, as he punched the barrier, "Why can't a I get through?"

"Well, there goes that plan," Natsu said, "Does anyone have anything else, because if not…"

"I do!" Happy said, raising his paw, "I just remembered what Erza told me you did to Jellal!"

"What?" Natsu asked, looking at Happy.

"Can't you save the girls?"

**Note: I wanted to end it here, to kind of give the potential that Natsu could refuse. Sorry it took so long, but I just had graduation, so since I'm on summer, I might be able to start writing more. Another reason I haven't been working on this, is I've recently started writing seriously, with intents on publishing my own original story. So I've been working on that**

**Some people might not like the fight scenes in this, but it was only to establish the situation. I am still taking ideas, and the pairing is still in the workings. I reposted the chapter.**


	37. Desperation

_**Desperation**_

All eyes were instantly upon Natsu.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said.

"Erza said that when you were in the Tower of Heaven, you used a technique that cleansed Jellal, "Happy answered, "I think she said it was called 'Cleanse'. Can't you do it to the girls?"

"I don't recall you having that good of a memory," Natsu muttered.

"Are you saying that Natsu can reverse the effect of Evergreen's magic?" Makarov said.

"That's what it sounded like," Happy answered.

"Natsu?" Makarov asked. Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a breath.

"You are suggesting I activate Dragon's Eye for just one technique?" he said, "That on its own takes a large portion of magic."

"Aye," Happy confirmed.

"You can't be serious," Natsu said.

"I can't?" Happy asked, cocking his head.

"I'm not going to waste that much magic on them," Natsu said bluntly.

"I fail to see how it would be a waste," Makarov said.

"Would you use your full power to defeat a bunch of bandits?" Natsu asked.

"This is a completely different situation!" Makarov protested

As the two argued, Gajeel leaned on the barrier, as Happy floated next to him.

"Do you think they'll make an agreement?" Happy asked.

"I'm more interested in this 'Dragon's Eye'," Gajeel answered.

**(somewhere in town)**

Lisanna looked around, as she crept forward. She was being especially careful at this point, since she had seen the others fighting in the barrier. This lead to the conclusion that if Lisanna avoided the other mages, the chances of having to fight them were lessened. On the other hand, this also meant that she couldn't actively do anything either, which was no less frustrating.

The white haired girl took a breath, as she sat against a building, and considered her options. In her thoughts however, she lost sight of what she was doing.

At the same time, and not far away, Elfman was on the move. However, it was with none of the caution that Lisanna was doing. He didn't really care about being found, since he decided that he would do anything if it meant saving his sister, even if that meant fighting his guild mates.

As he looked around, he noticed something. Around the corner, was Lisanna.

"Hey, Lisanna!" he called as he hurried over. HIs younger sister gasped and looked up.

"Elfman, don….," But it was too late. The runes lit to life around them, and the barrier was raised.

**(at the guild)**

"Look!" Happy said, pointing. Makarov and Natsu broke off their argument, as they looked up. On the wall, the runes read _Fight: Lisanna vs Elfman_.

"Don't tell me," Makarov said slowly, as he began to shake.

"Apparently Laxus doesn't care who fights who," Natsu said, as he folded his arms.

**(with Lisanna and Elfman)**

"Elfman," LIsanna said slowly, as her eyes fell to the ground. Elfman began to stutter, as he was at lost at what to do. He wanted to save Mirajane, but that would mean having to…. fight Lisanna.

The thought alone made his stomach churn.

"Look for a way out!" Elfman said, "There's got to be a way!" He then began feel around the barrier, looking for any weak spot. But Lisanna remained perfectly still, staring at the ground.

"What are you waiting for?" Elfman demanded, "Give me a hand!"

"I'm sorry," Lisanna said softly.

"Wha…"

Lisanna then sprung at Elfman.

"Animal Soul: Tiger!" Lisanna's body then took on the aspect of a tiger. She slashed at Elfman, who jumped out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Elfman demanded again.

"We've got to save our sister!" Lisanna said, "This is the only way!"

"I won't fight you!" Elfman said directly.

"Then you'll lose!" Lisanna said, as she slashed at him again. Elfman brought up his arms to defend himself, covering them with stone. The claws actually created sparks as the claws collided. Elfman was pushed back, but he still didn't transform.

"Come on!" Lisanna said, "Fight back!"

"No!" Elfman responded.

"Please!" Lisanna begged, "I don't want to just beat you to a pulp!"

"I will not risk hurting you!" Elfman declared. Lisanna let out a frustrated cry.

"Animal Soul: Eagle!" she said. Her arms then turned wings, and she took flight. She then tried to kick down on Elfman, who blocked again. Elfman then pushed her off. The white-haired girl skidded to a halt, and looked up. Elfman was shocked to see tears streaming down her face.

"Please!" she said weakly, "Please fight me, and beat me."

"Lisanna," Elfman whispered.

"Its the only way," Lisanna sobbed, "You have to beat me, so you can beat the others, and save Mira!"

For a time, Elfman was silent, before he held up his arms.

"Beast Soul!" With that, he emerged in his full beast form. Lisanna smiled weakly, as she looked up at her brother. _Yes_, she thought _Beat me._ Elfman held out his hand. An orb of energy then appeared in that hand.

"Beast Heart!" he said. Lisanna closed her eyes, and waited for the blast. But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw Elfman holding up the orb.

**"I will not hurt you," **Elfman rumbled. With that, he slammed the orb into his chest.

"ELFMAN!"

**(at the guild)**

_Victor: Lisanna_

"Lisanna beat Elfman?" Happy said, shocked.

"That's impossible!" Natsu said, also surprised.

"It is," Makarov said slowly, looking down, "But Elfman could not bear to hurt his sister. He just used his magic on himself." Natsu stared at Makarov. The only times he had experienced such selflessness was with Acnologia, and at the Tower of Heaven. But for other mages in Fairy Tail to have that…

"I can't less this continue," Makarov said, before looking up, "I'm surrendering." All eyes fell upon the old wizard.

"Say what?" Gajeel said.

"If this is what Laxus is resorting to," Makarov said, "Mages harming themselves so as to not hurt the ones they love…" He shook his head.

"It can't go on." With that, Makarov looked up, and rose his arm.

"Laxus…," he began, but as he did, Natsu grabbed his arm. Everyone looked at Natsu. His eyes were shadowed, and he was stiff.

"I will not let that bastard have his way," Natsu said. He then looked at the statues.

"I'll do it."

"You will?" Happy asked. Natsu just nodded.

Makarov blinked back some tears and said, "You don't know much this means to us all."

"I'll keep that in mind," Natsu said, "Now stand back." They all did as told, and Natsu held his head up. Wind began to pick up around him, and he glowed blue. He opened one eye.

"Dragon's Eye!" The magic energy surged, and concentrated into his eye.

"Such power!" Gajeel said, in complete awe. The magical energy then died down, and when it did, Natsu's right eye was glowing with black and blue energy.

"Eye of the Black Dragon," he said. He then turned towards the girls, and held out both arms. Black magic flared around him like fire, and several arms made from the magic emerged. Each one encompassed one statue, lived them off the stage, and set them on the ground in front of Natsu.

"You sure this is going to work?" Happy suddenly asked.

"You're the one who suggested it!" Gajeel snapped.

"They aren't truly statues," Natsu explained, "Its more like they were coated in stone. Now be quiet, so I can concentrate." He then clenched his fingers into a fist.

"Cleanse!" The magic around the girls then lit up in brighter, as more magic seemed to leak off them. The stone began to crack.

"Its working!" Makarov said, "Keep going!" Natsu ignored him, as he focused. Finally, the stone crumbled away completely, revealing seven surprised girls.

"What happened?" Lucy said, looking around.

"Where's Gray?!"

"The last I remember was seeing Evergreen, and then…," Levy said before pausing and holding her head down, " Oh yeah."

"Caught completely off guard!" Erza said, clenching her fist, "I'm going to hang her by her boots!"

Natsu then fell to one knee, panting.

"Natsu!" Happy said, floating over.

"What's with him?" Mirajane said, "And why are you all still here?"

"This is why we're still here," Gajeel answered, as he put his hand against the barrier.

"One of Freed's barriers?" Bisca said, "Why is it here."

"Long story short," Makarov said, "Laxus is acting up even more than usual. And he's even got the Thunder God Tribe all riled up. If not for Natsu…" The girls all looked at Natsu.

"Natsu saved us?" Mirajane asked.

"Thank me later," Natsu said, as he stood up slowly. Erza then noticed Natsu's eye.

"That's the magic you used against Jellal!" she blurted out.

"Took you long enough to notice," Natsu said.

"Enough small talk!" Makarov said, stepping forward, "Erza, Mirajane, Juvia, and Cana! I want each of you to go out, and look for the Thunder God Tribe! Save Laxus for last! And whatever you do, avoid each other, and all other Fairy Tail members!"

"I call Evergreen!" Erza said, as she re-quipped, and ran out.

"I want Freed!" Mirajane said as she followed.

"Not if I beat you to him!" Cana responded.

"I've got to find my prince!" Juvia said as she practically floated out of the guild. Makarov turned to the remaining girls.

"Lucy, I want you to help Levy find a way to undo the spell," he instructed, "Bisca, take up a sniper position, and keep your eyes open!"

"Yes sir!" the girls chorused.

"What about us?" Gajeel asked.

"You guys conserve your strength," Makarov said, "I have a feeling it may all come down to you."

**Note: Sorry it took so long, but I've been having to prepare for college. I actually finished this while sitting in the car on the drive up. Now that this is finally done, I hope to get some more action. I hope I kept things in character for the most part. Still taking ideas.**


	38. True Titania

_**True Titania**_

"So this is Magnolia?" a man in an orange robe said, looking over the city, before looking up at the sky, and noticing something amiss. He frowned.

"Seems I got here at an interesting time."

**(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)**

"Anything?" Lucy asked to Levy.

"Nothing," Levy answered, "I can't find any information on rune magic like this."

"That would make sense," Makarov commented, "Freed would no doubt try to ensure that no way to reverse the effects of his spell could be implemented."

"Why can't Natsu just try blasting it like he initially planned?" Happy asked

"If you want to try asking him, be my guest," Gajeel said, gesturing to the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. He was sitting cross legged, almost as if meditating. His necklace was glowing slightly.

"Chances are that Freed would have to be beaten in order for the runes to dissipate completely," Makarov explained.

"Well then Mira will have to beat him," Levy said. None of them doubted their comrade's capability, but the one they were most worried about was Evergreen. Her stone gaze could beat almost anyone if the chance presented itself. They could only hope Erza could find a way to beat her.

**(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)**

Evergreen had sensed it when her spell had been lifted, and though she did not know how it could have been done. No one she could think of could have fully broken the magic, and she wanted to found out who could have done it.

"Evergreen!" an all too familiar voice roared. Evergreen looked up, and saw Erza diving towards her, in her Heaven's Wheel armor. Evergreen managed to jump out of the way, as Erza crashed into the ground, creating a crater in the process.

The re-quip mage emerged and pointed her sword at Evergreen.

"I'm here to stop you," she declared. The brown haired woman just sneered, which she was remarkably good at.

"You think you can beat me?" she asked, as she put her hands on her glasses, "All it takes…"

"You talk too much!" Erza said, as in an instant, she was upon Evergreen, slashing at her. Evergreen ducked just in time. She pulled out her fan, and swiped it through the air, creating some dust. The dust then formed into beam, which blasted at Erza. Erza rolled away, and looked up to see Evergreen sprout a pair of wings. She hovered in the air over Erza, laughing cruelly.

"So this is the so called 'Fairy Queen'?" Evergreen sneered, "I've seen much better!"

"What did I say about you talking too much?" Erza responded, holding tight to her swords, "And don't think I'm going to fall for the same trick twice!" She pointed to one of her eyes.

"The only reason you got me the first time was because you caught me off guard," she explained, "This eye won't let you do anything else!" **(the reason isn't better explained in canon)**

"No matter," Evergreen said, snapping her fan shut, pointing it at Erza, "I won't lose to you!"

"Of all the times you fought me, do you really think you can beat me?" Erza said with a sweat drop. They had fought many times over, and while Evergreen may not like to admit it, she always lost. Erza briefly entertained the thought that Evergreen felt the same way Erza felt about Natsu. **(any ideas you get, you made yourself, just keep that in mind)**

Putting that out of her head, Erza turned her attention back to her opponent.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, "You're betraying your own kin!"

"I will never let such weaklings be my kin!" Evergreen declared, narrowing her eyes.

"How dare you!" Erza said, "You betray everything Fairy Tail stands for!"

"If that's true, then Fairy Tail has become hollow and weak!" Evergreen responded, "With Laxus leading the guild, it will again become the feared name it once was!"

"Then I can't let that happen!" Erza said, before re-equipping into her Purgatory Armor. And with that, she sprung at her opponent. Evergreen intercepted the blade with her fan, and managed to deflect it.

"Fairy Ray!" Fairy Dust collected together, before blasting at Erza. Erza dodged out of the way, before gathering up another two swords and blasting them at Evergreen. Evergreen twisted out of the way.

"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechuan!" Evergreen said, bringing her hands together. A torrent of energy in the shape of needles exploded out of her hands. Erza launched herself forward, dodging and deflecting the blasts. Cringing at the sight of her guild mate's approach Evergreen swiped her fan, gathering up the Fairy Dust into a cloud.

Erza was abruptly halted in her position, as the light blinded her, forcing her to drop back to the ground. Taking an advantage of her distraction, Evergreen rocketed back down.

"Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!" she roared. Erza, on reflex of hearing it, she held up her large sword. The bulk of the blast was blocked by the sword, protecting her from the worst of the attack, but it still blasted her back, disorienting her in the process.

"Fairy Ray!" Evergreen said without missing a beat. The blast got a direct hit on Erza, knocking her further back, and slamming her into a building.

"And this is the so called 'Titania'?" Evergreen gloated, while laughing arrogantly, "You don't deserve such a title! That is why I will make sure that it is taken away!" Then, Erza emerged from the rubble. She was bruised, but the armor had still kept her from the greatest potential damage. It was times like these that made Erza very thankful she could use re-quip magic.

"You mean that is all this is about?" she muttered to herself, "I can't believe it." With that, she re-quipped back into her Heaven's Wheel armor, and then launched another dozen swords at her opponent. This forced Evergreen back onto a roof top, frowning. Erza jumped back out to face her, spinning one of her swords in her hand, and pointing at Evergreen.

"By now I should probably stop holding back," she mused briefly, before firing herself straight at Evergreen. The brown-haired woman just barely managed to block the first attack, only to be slammed in the side by Erza's kick. This sent her crashing into a building. She got up, dazed, wiping the side of her mouth. Before she could stand straight, two additional swords shot at her, pinning into the wall. This left her at Erza's mercy, who landed in front of her, glaring at her.

"You can't win!" Evergreen cried, flailing on her pin, "I am the only true Titania! I am the only one who deserves the title! I am…." She was abruptly silenced with an armored fist in her face, which was attached to a very annoyed Erza.

"For crying out loud," she said, "I don't even know who gave me that title, if you want it, go ahead and take it by all means." She removed her fist, revealing a swirled eyed Evergreeen.

**(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)(|)**

_Win: Erza_

"Erza won!" Lucy said happily.

"Well, that leaves Bixlow, Freed, and Laxus," Makarov said, "Let's hope Mirajane and Gray can take them."

**Note: I know a lot of people have been waiting a long time for this, and let me say that a combination of college work, and my computer constantly breaking down, has left me with little to work with. But here is the latest chapter, and now that I'm back in the swing of things, I hope to keep the story moving. Wow, over a 1000 reviews, have to say I'm proud of that.**


	39. Waterlogged

_**Waterlogged**_

Gray knew his options were limited. He could not go aimlessly wandering, as knowing the Thunder Gods, that would just lead him into a trap. No, he had to play it cautious if were to have a chance.

"Gray, my love!" a familiar voice said. Gray turned, and saw a bouncing Juvia waving at him.

"Juvia?" he said, "How did…" It then dawned on him.

"No! Stay back!" Gray said, "You'll get…." But Juvia was already spring towards him, before to his surprise, she slammed into a barrier. Gray would have almost freaked out, but it wasn't keeping the two together, it was keeping them apart.

At first glance, he thought that Gray might have been caught in a battle, but a laugh from Juvia's direction proved otherwise.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

_Fight: Juvia vs Bixlow_

"Well that's not good," Natsu said, folding his arms as he looked at the runes.

"Don't underestimate Juvia," Gajeel said, "She was an S-Class in Phantom Lord."

"Well this isn't Phantom Lord," Natsu answered.

"Gajeel's right," Lucy piped up, "Juvia was really good in the Tower of Heaven!"

**(with Juvia)**

"_If anyone can take him, its her!"_

Juvia turned to face Bixlow, who was hanging from a rooftop by his legs, his trademark grin present. Juvia took a battle stance, preparing to face him.

"You're the ex-Phantom, aren't ya?" Bixlow said as he flipped down, and landed in front of her, still smiling, "I'm going to enjoy kick your ass!"

"Juvia is not going to let you win!" Juvia answered, "Juvia is a loyal member of Fairy Tail!"

"We'll see about that," Bixlow said, as his dolls spread around him, and his tongue hung out maliciously.

"We will!" Juvia declared, "Water Slicer!" With that, several water blades launched themselves at Bixlow, who jumped out of the few easily.

"Line Formation, babies!" he declared, holding out his hand.

"Line Formation! Line Formation!" the dolls echoed, as they assembled in a line, before firing a blast of green light. Juvia melted into a puddle, causing the attack to miss.

"Water Beam!" she said as she emerged, and fired her attack at Bixlow.

"Shield Formation!" The dolls formed into a square around Bixlow, and made a shield, deflecting the worse of the attack. However, the force still got through, and Bixlow lost his footing, causing hint to be knocked back. He skidded to the ground, and his feet, but was still grinning.

"Not bad, I'll give you that," he said.

"Juvia's just getting started!" Juvia responded, as she held up both arms, "Water Serpent!" A large snake made of water formed from her hands, and sprung forward towards Bixlow, who brought up his dolls.

"Baryon Formation!" he said, and the dolls came together in a pentagon, before firing a massive blast of energy, that overtook the Serpent. Juvia let out a cry, as she was blasted back against the barrier.

"Juvia!" Gray cried.

Juvia winced, as she got up slowly to face Bixlow, who was laughing.

"I thought you said you were starting," he sneered. Juvia hissed, before melting again into a puddle. Then, to both Gray and Bixlow's surprise, slithered forward on the ground towards Bixlow.

"Blast her!" Bixlow ordered.

"Blast! Blast!" The dolls fired their beams, but Juvia managed to evade them all relatively easily. Once she got close to Bixlow, she burst out of the puddle right under his nose.

"Water Fist!" she said, before sending a fist made out of a torrent of water into Bixlow's gut. This knocked the masked man into the air. Juvia brought her hands together.

"Water Beam!" she said, as she blasted the water at her opponent.

"X-Formation!" Bixlow responded, as the dolls came into an x shape, and fired another magic blast. Again, his magic overtook Juvia's, but it wasn't enough to knock Juvia back.

"I've got to say I'm impressed Phantom Girl," Bixlow said, "You lasted longer than my last opponent."

"Juvia can't let you have you or Laxus have your way!" Juvia responded, as she clenched her fists together.

"Too bad, its going to happen," Bixlow responded, still grinning.

"Going to happen! Going to happen!" Juvia was really starting to hate those dolls.

Juvia silently wished that Lucy was here (even though Gray was present and no other woman was worthy to look upon him), since their Unison Raid was enough to strike down that guy in Tower of Heaven. Since she was lacking a Celestial Spirit, she knew she had to think of a new strategy. She then realized something: she was getting ever so tired. The Water Serpent, coupled with her puddle movements **(those are two words you'd never expect together)**, had taken up a chunk of magic. While she didn't know how Bixlow's magic fully worked, he barely looked tired at all. Juvia was at a disadvantage, and it was unlikely she would win. But if she couldn't, maybe…. It was then that Juvia got an idea.

"Water Nebula!" she said, as she waved her arms. Two enormous streams of water formed, before zipping towards Bixlow. The large attack made its trajectory easy to predict, however, and Bixlow easily managed to evade, using his dolls as flight instruments. He then landed on a rooftop, and held out his arms.

"Smash!" Bixlow said, as all of his dolls shot down towards Juvia.

"Water Shell!" A cocoon of water formed around Juvia, protecting her from the blast. Will the dolls away from Bixlow, Juvia seized her opportunity. She shot towards him.

"Water Rocket!" she cried, as her body became completely encompassed in water. Without his dolls to defend, Bixlow was vulnerable, and knowing that, he attempted to move away, but Juvia was too fast. She slammed clean into him, and was completely soaked. Bixlow was sent tumbling to the ground, and emerged, wiping the side of his mouth, glaring at Juvia, as she landed on the ground, and fell to her knees, now visibly tired.

"Seems you're out of juice!" Bixlow said, this time not grinning, as his dolls assembled around him.

"Juvia!" Gray said. IT was then, Juvia turned to him. She was smiling.

"I set him up," she said as green light encompassed her, "Its your turn."

**(at Fairy Tail)**

_Winner: Bixlow_

"I'm not surprised," Natsu said with a shrug. Lucy would be lying if she said she was surprised. Even though Juvia was her friend, and was strong, she had a feeling that Bixlow would be stronger. Gajeel clenched his fists, angrily. Juvia was probably one of his oldest friends, and seeing what happened made him growl.

It was then that the runes changed to _Fight: Gray vs Bixlow_.

**(with Gray)**

Gray stood in front of an unconscious Juvia, his fists clenched, and his gaze dark. Bixlow, still completely drenched, was smiling again. Gray just said six words.

"I'm going to kick your ass."

**Note: I know this was short, but I couldn't really drag a fight between Juvia and Bixlow out too long. The next one may be slightly longer. That said, let me go ahead and say that one pairing that I can confirm, is Gray x Juvia, so all Gruvia fans (like myself) can be at ease.**


	40. On Ice

_**On Ice**_

Gray and Bixlow stood face to mask, as Bixlow's dolls hovered over his shoulders.

"Come on, Fullbuster," Bixlow said, "Don't tell me you like that Phantom girl."

"That's not your concern," Gray answered, as he put his hands together.

"You think you can beat me when your girlfriend couldn't?" Bixlow said, "You don't stand a chance!"

"Not a chance! Not a chance!" the dolls echoed, as they buzzed around.

"Then I'll get one!" Gray answered, "Ice Make: Bow!" With that, a bow of ice appeared in his hands, after which Gray fired an arrow. Bixlow leapt out of the way relatively easily, and with his dolls boost, landed on a rooftop.

"Line Formation!" he said, holding out his hand. The dolls gathered up, before blasting at Gray.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray responded, as he slammed his foot into the ground. A shield of ice burst out, deflecting the blast. After the dust cleared, Gray jumped forward.

"Ice Make: Slide!" The ground turned to ice, which Gray slid across. Bixlow blasted at him again, but Gray managed to skirt around most of them. Once he got close enough, Gray brought up his bow again, and fired another arrow. Bixlow's dolls formed up, forming another shield.

"Ice Make: Cannon!" A cannon of ice formed up, and blasted a large block of ice at Bixlow. Bixlow rolled away.

"X-Formation!" Bixlow commanded, as the dolls took the formation, and blasted at Gray again. Gray slid out of away, forming a ramp out of ice onto the same roof top as Bixlow.

"You've certainly got slippery," Bixlow sneered.

"Look who's talking," Gray said, "You seem to be doing much more dodging than actual fighting."

"Oh? So you're not satisfied with the fight?" Bixlow said, his grin turning even more malicious, "Then I'll see to it that I change that! Baryon Formation!" The dolls assembled into their stance, and began charging their beam, but Gray saw it coming.

"Ice Make: Sniper!" he said. He held up both hands, and in an instant, fired several blasts of ice against the dolls, freezing them. This caught Bixlow off guard, which gave Gray the opening he needed.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" he said, as he formed a large hammer out of ice, and brought it down on Bixlow. It scored a direct hit, sending him careening into the ground.

Gray jumped down to face his opponent, who emerged from the dust, very angry.

"You lost your dolls," Gray said, smiling triumphantly, "Seems you're out of options." Bixlow spat out a small drop of blood, as he stood up.

"You don't seem to know much about my power do you," he said.

"I know enough," Gray responded.

"That's where you're wrong," Bixlow answered, his smile returning. Gray was then slammed in the back by a blast of magic, sending him crashing into a building. When he got up, he noticed that several mannequins were hovering in a broken window.

"Its not the dolls themselves that give them the power," Bixlow explained, as he folded his arms, grinning, "Its the souls within them." Gray stood back up, cringing. It felt like he broke a rib. Admittedly, he did not know that piece of Bixlow's power. If Bixlow could potentially take anything as a host for his souls, then Gray's initial plan about destroying his dolls wouldn't work. He had to find a different strategy.

He was forced out his thinking, as Bixlow held up his hand.

"Smash him!" The mannequins shot forward, on a collision course.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray said, as he formed a small shield to protect him. Since the mannequins were not as strong as the dolls, they broke apart on collision, but then the pieces simply floated up, and surrounded Gray. Not having the time to make additional shields, Gray got a direct hit with several pieces, knocking him back onto the street.

"Its a shame the ruins won't let you surrender," Bixlow said, as he leaned on the side of a wall, smiling, "But even if they did, I wouldn't listen." Gray leaned up, panting.

"What's gotten into you?" he said, "You're part of Fairy Tail aren't you?"

"Take a guess," Bixlow said, as he stuck out his tongue, exposing his guild mark.

"Then why are you doing this? These are your comrades!" Gray's first response was a piece of a mannequin knocking him back to the ground.

"Don't you even imply that!" Bixlow said, "Weaklings like these will never be my comrades! Laxus will make Fairy Tail strong!"

"If that's what you think Fairy Tail stands for," Gray said, "Then I have all the more reason to beat you!"

"I don't see that happening," Bixlow said.

"Then let me open your eyes!" Gray responded, "Ice Make: Boomerang!" He formed a boomerang of ice, and launched it Bixlow, who managed to dodge it, only for it to double back, and clobber him the back of the head.

"You want to open my eyes?" Bixlow hissed, "How about I do that for you?!" He then put his hand to his helmet, and it was then that Gray realized what he was planning. He then threw his face to the ground, covering his eyes.

Bixlow removed his mask, revealing glowing a human-shaped tattoo, three blue mohawks, and menacing, glowing, green eyes. It was the core of his magic, his Figure Eyes. If Gray looked into them, he would lose without a doubt.

"At the very least you have the sense to look away," Bixlow said darkly, "But now you've got no chance!" He jumped over, slamming Gray in the back. Gray hacked up some blood. Bixlow then kicked him away.

Gray landed in a puddle, left over from Bixlow's fight with Juvia. Gray turned over, to face away from Bixlow, as he tried to get up. As he did, he saw his reflection in the puddle. It was then he had an epiphany. He remembered Juvia saying that she set him up, and now he finally realized what she meant. He also remembered Bixlow was still wet.

"Tell you what," Bixlow said, "Why don't you just give up, and face me? You'll make a good addition to my collection!"

"I don't think so," Gray said, as he turned carefully, looking at Bixlow's feet. Fortunately, he was standing in another puddle. Gray slammed his hand into the puddle. The puddle turned to ice, and traced back towards the puddle Bixlow was standing in. The water Bixlow was covered in also froze, and in an instant, Bixlow was coated in ice, and rendered immobile.

Not missing a beat, Gray sprung forward.

"Ice Make: Battering Ram!" he said, as he formed a ram made of ice, and slammed it directly into Bixlow's gut, sending him flying away. While this broke the ice, Bixlow didn't have the chance to respond.

"Ice Make: Mace!" Gray cried, as he formed a huge mace made of ice, and brought it down on Bixlow. It created a small crater.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

_Victor: Gray_

"Gray won!" Happy said, waving his paws.

"Well I'll be damned," Natsu said, legitimately surprised.

**(with Gray)**

"Juvia!" Gray said, as he ran over to the unconscious girl. He then picked her up, and started running back towards Fairy Tail.

**(with Laxus)**

In the Magnolia church, Laxus was watching the battles rage. When he saw Bixlow had lost, he squeezed the stairs he was sitting on so hard, they broke.

"No more waiting," he said, as he stood up.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"Gray!" Makarov called, as Gray dashed into the guild, still holding Juvia.

"Can you help her?" he asked. Makarov gestured for Gray to put her down, which he did.

"Too bad Porlyuisca isn't here," he said, "I don't know much about medicine. But on the plus side, she doesn't look that bad." Gray still cringed.

"He liiikes her," Happy purred. Gray responded by freezing him into an ice cube.

"Freed's the only one left," Levy said.

"Mira can beat him right?" Lucy asked.

"No doubt about it," Makrov answered.

"That's not your only concern," a very familiar voice to Lucy said. Everyone turned, and saw a man in an orange robe, and a shave head.

"You're….," Lucy began.

"I saw something while coming here," XingLong said, "Something you may want to know about."

**Note: This brings XIngLong back into the picture.**

**In regards to Gray's battle with Bixlow, I know there are details which are not particularly realistic, but this was my plan from the get go. If you don't like it, I'm sorry.**


	41. Thunder Palace

_**Thunder Palace**_

"You're that guy from the Tower of Heaven!" Lucy blurted, pointing at XingLong. Immediately, all mages present took a battle stance, even Natsu. However, XingLong did not even flinch.

"Looking over your town, I think you have larger priorities than one guy you already defeated," he said, "As I already said, there is something you may want to know. Something I spotted while on my way in."

"And what may that be?" Makarov asked. XingLong looked back out the door.

"Well, I'd just point to you, but seeing as you are still here, considering all that has happened, I'm assuming you can't leave," XingLong explained, "Is there anywhere you can go?"

"What's it to you?" Gajeel sneered.

"Again, keep your priorities where they need to be," XingLong said, "And I should clearly not be at the top." Makarov thought about that, before coming to realize the logic.

"He's right," he said, "At this point, we need all the potential help we can get in this situation."

"Good to hear," XingLong said, "Now, is there any opening anywhere? Anywhere that these apparent barriers don't restrain you?"

"What about the roof?" Lucy proposed.

"Yeah, Freed couldn't have blocked all the doors," Levy said.

"Its worth a try," Makarov said, as he looked towards the stairs.

The group headed up to the roof, and much to everyone's relief, Makarov and the Dragon Slayers managed to slip through them. Bisca looked up from her position.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Those are," XingLong said, pointing. Everyone looked up, and saw them. Many, many orbs encircling the entire city. The orbs had lightning symbols on them, making it no secret who had put them there.

"When did those get up there?" Lucy asked.

"I noticed them when I got to the town, but not when I was approaching it," XingLong said, "Whatever they are, they must have been put up quickly."

"What's Laxus up to now?" Levy asked.

"Nothing good," Natsu said," Considering how two of his closest lackeys have been defeated, this is likely some kind of contingency plan."

"Well, I'm shooting them down!" Bisca said, as she pointed her gun at one of them.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Gajeel asked, "How do you know they won't blast you the moment you fire?"

"Its either that or we sit here, and let them be," Bisca answered, "I for one, am not up for that!" She then fired her rifle, and broke one of the spheres. Immediately after, a bolt of lightning blasted down at her. Before it could strike her, it curved away, towards Xinglong, who was waving his arms and hands in intricate fashion, the lightning follow his hands. He then pointed towards the hill, and the lightning blasted at it. After he broke his stance, he quickly fell on his rear.

"Gajeel was right?" Happy said, sounding surprised.

"Why are you surprised?" Gajeel said, picking up Happy by his tail.

"What did you do?" Makarov said, also surprised.

"I managed to redirect the lightning," XingLong answered, panting slightly, "Though those are stronger than anything I redirected before. I don't think I can do that for all of them."

"So they are just floating up there, waiting for people to shoot at them?" Happy asked.

"Laxus knows that the members are not stupid enough to try that," Natsu said, "Chances are nobody has noticed them yet. More likely, its to prevent people from trying to disable them. That means they have a much larger purpose." Natsu didn't have to say anything else. The reality had dawned on them all.

"To think he would go that far," Levy murmured.

Makarov was silent, as a vein appeared in his clenched fists. He looked towards XingLong.

"How many more of those can your redirect?"

"Two, three, maybe four at the best," XingLong answered, "and even then, I may not have the strength to redirect them to a safe location."

"Then what can we do?" Bisca asked.

"We're going to have to defeat Laxus," Natsu said, "Unfortunately, Redfox and I trapped here, and Scarlet will be at a disadvantage."

"What about Mirajane?" Lucy suggested.

"She went after Freed," Makarov said, "And I don't know if she'll be able to defeat Laxus after that."

"That good isn't it?" Bisca asked, "If she beats Freed, then won't the barrier drop?"

"If they do, then I can take on Laxus," Natsu said, "If that is the case, then she better hurry the hell up."

"Don't forget this is Freed we're talking about here," Levy said, "If I know him, he'll likely concoct someway to put Mirajane in a position of weakness."

"And we can't forget, he controls the barriers," Makarov, "Mirajane will be fighting under his terms, in that case…" That was when Makarov suddenly doubled over.

"Master!" Levy said, as she caught him. Makarov let out a gag, as he grabbed his chest, and he passed out.

"We've got to get him to bed!" Levy said, as Bisca helped her carry their Master away.

"Is the Master…," Happy said slowly, a look of pure dread on his face. Natsu held up his hand.

"Don't think that way yet," he said, before turning to XingLong, who had since gotten back up, "Can't believe I'm saying this, but we need more of your help."

"That's what I came here for," XingLong said.

"You can pass through the barriers, right?"

"Its as if they weren't even there."

"There's a cottage in the forests surrounding, Magnolia," Natsu explained, "There, you'll find a women named Porlyusica. She may know what do." XingLong, not asking any questions, jumped off the balcony, landed cleanly on the ground, and hurried off.

"You're helping?" Happy asked, surprised, as was Lucy, not expecting this from Natsu.

"Don't give me that look!" Natsu said quickly, "If that old man kicks it, then Laxus will win! I don't intend to see that happen!"

**(with Freed)**

Freed was waiting patiently, sitting on a chair, his sword propped next to it, and his eye closed. He then opened it, and smiled.

"You took your time," he said, as he stood up to face his opponent.

Mirajane did not say anything. Instead, her body flared with dark colored magic.

**Note: I decided that the Thunder Palace needed its own chapter to introduce it, and establish what it can do. I know Makarov's sickness came out of nowhere, but I didn't know how else to fit into the plot at this point. I hope it was satisfactory. The next chapter, you'll get to see what Mirajane can do in this.**


	42. Advent of Satan

_**Advent of Satan**_

On the outskirts of Magnolia, Mirajane and Freed stood face to face, otherwise silent, as the tension between the two of them held firm. Mirajane was the first to break the silence.

"I heard what you made Lisanna and Elfman do," she said, "I'm not leaving until I've thoroughly beaten you up."

"You think you can honestly beat me?" Freed sneered.

"Who's the S-Class mage here?"

"And who's the one who controls all the barriers? I hold all the cards in my hand."

"Then I'll take those cards!" Mirajane responded, as her body erupted with dark magic, as Freed watched, briefly narrowing his eye.

"So this is your power?" he mused, as a silhouette appeared in the dark magic, "Satan Soul." The dark power then cleared away, revealing Mirajane, but in a far, far different state. Her hair was now standing straight up, and she was wearing a scant outfit, that only covered a few of her extremities. Her ears were now pointed, and her hands and feet had turned to scaly claws. But the largest differences, were a pair of bat-like wings, and a long tail.

"I'm not going to play around, after what you've done," Mirajane said, her voice seeping with rage. With that, she sprung forward, claws outstretched. Freed's body exploded into a cloud of runes, which then reformed in a building further ahead.

"Dark Écriture: Pain!" he said, thrusting his sword forward, as a series of glowing runes emerged, and blasted at Mirajane. The white-haired mage shot out of the way.

"Darkness Stream!" she said, as she shot a wave of darkness at Freed, who held up his sword.

"Dark Écriture: Wings!" The runes formed into wings, which attached themselves to his back, allowing Freed to fly out of the way of the stream. Mirajane flew after him.

Mirajane was visibly faster than Freed, and was quickly catching up to him very quickly. However, Freed did not look particularly distressed, as he rounded a building, Mirajane close after him. It was then that Freed stopped, and whirled around to face his opponent. Believing she had him in her claws, Mirajane smiled, as she got ready to strike. It was then that she suddenly couldn't move.

"What the.."

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to try overpowering you like this?" Freed said as he hovered in front of her. Runes then lit up around Mirajane, that read _"Anyone other than Freed Justine who enters this space will not be able to move their arms or legs"_.

"Now that I've got you here," Feed said, grinning, as he held up his sword, "Dark Écriture: Suffering!" Runes then erupted from the sword, and hit Mirajane square int he chest. She let out a cry, as sheer agony exploded across her body. When the pain finally subsided, she took a breath, looking up glaring at Freed, who was still smiling.

"Had enough?" he asked.

"Don't tell me you've gone soft?" Mirajane answered, with a smile. Freed scowled, as he held up his sword again to continue torturing her.

From the shadows, Lisanna watched, just outside the battle's sphere of influence. She cringed, as she watched her sister wreathe in pain.

"Big Sis," she said, as a tear dripped down the side of her face.

"Don't worry!" a familiar voice said, as a hand lay itself on her shoulder. Lisanna looked up, and saw Cana standing behind her.

"Cana! What are you…"

"Don't worry," Cana interrupted, waving her hand dismissively, "After Mira beats Freed, his runes should fade away. So it doesn't matter if we got ensnared in one of his traps." She then looked up to observe the battle, frowning.

"Now if only Mira can stop screwing around," she said.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"Couldn't that XongLing guy stayed a little longer?" Bisca complained, as she looked through her sight up at the Thunder Palace.

"I think his name was XingLong," Levy said.

"Whatever," Bisca said, "But couldn't he have redirected one more of those? I can't stand this waiting!"

"He's the only one who could get Porlyusica," Levy said.

"I know," Bisca said with a sigh, as she looked away, and lay against the railing.

**(downstairs)**

Meanwhile, downstairs, Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Gajeel were observing the runes, which still read _Fight: Mirajane vs Freed_. Lucy looked on worriedly.

"This is bad," she said, "I'm getting worried." Natsu glared at the runes, as if trying to will them to change.

"This is taking too long," he said, "She's stronger than that. Freed should already be defeated."

"Unless he caught her some kind of trap," Gajeel said, "But if she doesn't win, then we're thoroughly screwed, now that the Master is down. We won't be able to get out, and Erza's probably won't be able to defeat him, much less Laxus."

"What about Mystogan?" Happy asked, "He's pretty strong."

"And he's not here," Natsu said, "Besides, even if he got the word, chances are he wouldn't be able to get here in time."

"But Mira can win!" Happy declared, pumping his paws as fists.

"She can right?" Lucy said, as she watched.

"At this point, we can only hope she can," Natsu said, as he looked back towards the runes.

**(with Mira and Freed)**

Mirajane had slipped out of Satan Soul, and was now exhausted, and in pain.

"Still don't give up?" Freed asked. He was rapidly losing his patience with her. Everyone else he had tried this strategy on broke very quickly.

"I will never give up to someone like you," Mirajane said said, panting, as she weakly looked up, "You hurt my comrades! You hurt my family! I can't let you win, but I can't surrender to you either! I will never submit to person who does that!"

"Big sis!" Lisanna said, still crying. Cana just smiled at her friend.

With that, Mirajane's body flashed, and she disappeared. Freed's eye widened.

"What the hell?" he breathed.

"Down here," Mirajane's voice called. Freed looked down, and saw a fish with Mirajane's head on the ground. She quickly changed back to normal, and stood up weakly, free.

"How did you…"

"You know you should really pay more attention to what you write," Mirajane said, as she wiped the side of her mouth, "It said 'arms and legs', and seeing as fish have neither.." With an explosion of dark magic, she reentered Satan Soul mode, and slammed into Freed, brining him to the ground. As she held up his fist to continue beating him, Freed turned into runes, and teleported away. He reformed further away along the road, holding his side.

"You little…," Freed growled, his body pulsing, "That's it!" With that, his hair blew away, revealing his other eye. But this was clearly not a normal eye. It was glowing purple, like his runes, and black in the center.

"I normally shouldn't be using this," Freed said, "But I was ordered by Laxus to take you guys down, no matter what! In that case…" With that, he held up his sword, and runes spread about his body, making it glow maliciously. Mirajane narrowed her eyes, as she watched. When the runes faded, in Freed's place, stood a demon. It was covered in black skin, and had wild green hair.

"What the hell?" Cana said.

"That's like Mira's magic!" Lisanna said.

"Dark Écriture: Darkness," Freed hissed, "This magic is otherwise taboo. But I got to do this!" With that he held up his hands.

"Dark Flare Bomb!" An orb of dark magic appeared in his hand, which the then launched at Mirajane. The Take-Over mage moved out of the way, before launching herself at Freed, who in turn, launched himself at her. The two slammed together in a blast of dark magic, that blew both Cana and Lisanna away.

The two demons emerged from the darkness, and flew around each other.

"Dark Breath!" Freed cried, as he spewed out a tornado of dark magic. Mirajane held up her arms, and took the brunt of it, blasting her away. She landed on the ground, her claws raking into it. She looked up, glaring at Freed.

"Evil Explosion!" she said, as she launched an orb at Freed, who swung out of the way. He then flew back down towards Mirajane, who flew up towards him.

"Enough of this!" Freed said, "Dark Flare Orb!" He then threw at Mirajane, who took it head on.

"Sis!" Lisanna cried. Freed smiled, convinced he had won, but when the smoke cleared, it revealed Mirajane had caught the orb in her claws. She looked up, smiling darkly.

"I won't deny, you're good," she said, "But I've used this magic before! I know everything about it!" She then held up the orb, which gathered in size, and strength. The situation dawned on Freed, as he realized what was happening.

"Dark Vengeance!" Mirajane cried, as she threw the orb down. Freed held up his arms to try and defend himself, but it did nothing, as the orb crashed into him, resulting in a huge explosion.

When the dust faded away, it revealed Mirajane standing triumphantly on Freed's unconscious form. She smiled, as she turned back to normal.

"Mira!" Lisanna said, as she ran out towards her sister. Mirajane turned, and smiled as Lisanna threw her arms around her.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

_Victory: Mirajane_

"She won!" Lucy cried happily.

The runes then sizzled away, as Freed's spell deactivated itself.

"The barriers are gone!" Happy said.

"Enough of this," Natsu said, cracking this neck, "I'm taking Laxus down a notch!"

"Not if I beat you to him," Gajeel said. And with that, the two Dragon Slayers struck out.

"Where is Laxus?" Happy said. The two then suddenly stopped in their tracks, as they both sweat dropped.

"I… don't know," Natsu said, "All these scents, and I can't pinpoint him."

"Neither can I," Gajeel said. Both were more than a little embarrassed.

Happy chuckled. Lucy sighed.

"You two didn't think this through did you?" she said, rubbing her temples.

"Well, then we look for him!" Natsu declared, as he ran off. Gjaeel soon followed, before the two split up, to look in different places.

**(with Laxus)**

Laxus opened his eyes, smiling darkly.

"So everyone else has been defeated? Then that leaves me," he said, as he stood up, "Then I have to take you down, huh?" Standing before him, was Erza, her eyes narrow.

"Its time this ended," she said.

**Note: I'm going to go ahead and say it, that this arc is the hardest for me to do. As a result, this may not be so good, but I did what I could. I hope its not too rushed. That said, I know its a cop out with Gajeel and Natsu, but I wanted Erza and Mystogan to fight Laxus first, and this allowed me some time to keep things going.**

**I just realized Lucy's not doing much in this arc. Hopefully I can find something she can do before this ends.**


	43. The True Mystogan

_**The True Mystogan**_

"I had a feeling Evergreen wouldn't be able to beat you," Laxus said, "But you can't possibly think you can beat me." Erza glared at him.

"I don't know that if I can beat you," Erza said, as she held up her sword, before she flashed in requip. She then appeared wearing a light blue and gold armor, with her hair in a long braid, and carrying a long staff. It was her Lightning Empress Armor.

"But I do know that I can't just sit down and let you win!" she said, and with that, she sprung forward at Laxus, swinging her staff. Laxus veered out of the way on his heel.

"Lightning Fist!" His fist became charged with electricity, and punched forward. Erza blocked it with her staff. The staff conducted the electricity, and discharged it away. Erza then thrust her staff forward at Laxus, who turned into a bolt of lightning, and whisked away. Erza jumped after him, as she brought down her staff on Laxus, as he reformed. Laxus grabbed the staff, surprising Erza, and then held up his fist.

"Bolt!" he said, as he fired a single bolt of lightning at Erza. While she took the brunt of it, the armor discharged most of it. However, the force still sent the red head flying into the wall. She emerged, cringing angrily.

"Come on! Don't tell me that's it!" Laxus said, as he gestured for Erza to come at him again, grinning maniacally. Erza let out a yell, as she dove at Laxus again.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

Lucy paced nervously. Now that the runes had deactivated, she didn't have any idea about what was going on in with the battles.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Happy said, as he fluttered up onto her head.

"I can't help it," Lucy said, "There's so much going on, and there's nothing I can do! I'm useless!"

"Aye, you kinda are," Happy agreed. Lucy grabbed his tail, and threw him across the room.

"You're mean!" Happy said from within the wall. Lucy leaned in the doorway, as she looked up at the orbs of lacrima that made up the Thunder Palace, cringing, trying to think of something he can do. But she didn't have the strength to face anyone, and just didn't know what to do.

"Those emotions don't suit your features," a feminine, elderly voice said. Lucy turned, and saw Porlyusica walking up, XingLong trailing behind her.

"Sorry I took so long," XingLong said, "Finding her wasn't easy."

"And there's a damn good reason for it," Porlyusica muttered, "Now where's Makarov?"

"Follow me!" Lucy said, gesturing, as she lead Porlyusica up to the Fairy Tail nursing room. XingLong went up to the roof, to see if he could find someway to help Bisca.

"How is he?" Lucy asked Levy, who had since gone back down to look over him.

"Not any better," Levy answered sadly, "But at the very least he's regained consciousness." Indeed, Makarov was awake, if barely, and looking around.

"Porlyusica," he said softly.

"You old fool," Porlyusica said sadly, shaking her head, as she approached the bedside.

"What happened… with Freed and Mira?" Makarov rasped weakly.

"Mira won," Levy said with a smile.

"Then I've got to…" He tried to get up, only to collapse right back onto the bed.

"You've got do stay where you are, Porlyusica said, "You are certainly not in any condition to go throw yourself into battle."

"Natsu and Gajeel are going to find Laxus," Lucy said.

"But they can't find him," Happy said, as he fluttered up.

"Where'd you come from?" Lucy cried.

"From the wall," Happy answered.

"Well anyway, its true," Lucy said, "We have no idea where Laxus is. Gajeel and Natsu split up to try and find him."

"I have a feeling that its not the worst of our problems," XingLong said, as he and Bisca hurried into the room.

"What are you talking about?" Levy asked.

"I was looking over the Thunder Palace, and I saw that they all had small timers!" Bisca said.

"You mean…," Lucy said slowly, her eyes widening, "We're on a time limit now?"

"How… long?" Makarov asked.

"Less than 20 minutes," XingLong said.

"If all those lacrima orbs go off at once, it could destroy the entire town!" Levy said.

"Will Natsu and Gajeel be able to find Laxus in time?" Bisca asked.

"Regardless, that's a chance we may not have the luxury of," Porlyusica said, "Is there anyone else who may be able to take him."

"Erza and Mirajane, but they can't fight!" Lucy said.

"Then, is it over?" Happy said slowly.

"No…" Everyone looked at Makarov, who turned towards the window.

"There is… one…"

**(at the cathedral)**

Erza skidded to a halt. Like it or not, Laxus was stronger than her, and even worse, he was completely fresh in the battle, whereas Erza had just gotten from fighting Evergreen.

"Apparently your reputation is overhyped," Laxus sneered, as he casually leaned on the altar.

"Don't get cocky, you haven't won yet," Erza said, "And if I can't beat you, Natsu will."

"I'd say I have, so yeah, I'll be as cocky as I want," Laxus responded, "And as for Natsu, I'm not the same man I once was. I can beat Natsu this time." The moment he finished speaking, he turned into a bolt of lightning, and shot at Erza. The red haired mage held up her lightning staff, hoping to redirect Laxus' attack. On the plus side, it negated the worst of it, but as she attempted that one strategy, Laxus reappeared behind her, and put his hand on Erza's back. Erza let out a scream, as she was zapped by Laxus.

Erza could barely gasp as she fell to the ground, twitching and barely conscious. Lauxs laughed cruelly.

"Was that really all you could give me?" he cackled, "You're such a disappointment!" Erza tried up, before falling back to the ground.

"Time to end this," Laxus said, as he held up his hand. A cloud of electricity concentrated into a single orb in the blonde's hand, as he got ready to bring it down on Erza. But as he did, a black form swept around, knocking the orb away. Laxus looked around, before smiling.

"Took you long enough, Mystogan," he said. Mystogan, holding three staffs in one hand, faced Laxus head on.

"I should have been here earlier," the masked man mused, "If I had been…"

"Well, you're here now!" Laxus said, taking a battle stance, "I've been looking forward to facing you!" With that, he shot at Mystogan. Mystogan slammed all three staffs into the ground, in a ring around him. A magic barrier deflected Laxus, and Mystogan jumped into the air. He held up another two staffs, and slammed them together.

"Chains!" A he pulled the items apart, a chain of magic formed linking the two of them. He then swung one of the two staffs, as the other one lashed about. Laxus summersaulted out of the way, before gathering up an arc of lightning in his hand, and blasted it at Mystogan.

Mystogan held out the staff he was holding like a herald, and the lighting rolled off of it. He caught the other staff, and broke the chain. As he did, a bolt of energy burst from the broken chain, and shot at Laxus. Laxus, turning into a bolt of lightning and shot out of the way.

Pressing his hands together, Laxus then pulled them apart, forming a shaft of electricity.

"Lightning Spear!" He then threw it at Mystogan.

"Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!" The lightning then circled back at Laxus, who held up his hand and caught it.

"Not bad," he said, "Though I can't say I'm surprised Natsu could beat you."

"If that's an attempt to goad me on, then its not going to work," Mystogan responded, "I don't care about comparisons."

"Oh it wasn't a goad, just a fact," Laxus sneered, "If you can't beat Natsu, then what makes you think beat me?"

"Well, I am fighting you," Mystogan said plainly. Laxus' smirk vanished in an instant, he was upon Mystogan, who easily dodged the attack. He then circled Laxus, forming a six point ring around his opponent.

"Skyscaper!" he declared. Six circles of magic formed atop Laxus, and with that, he was fired into the air, the ground collapsing beneath him. As Laxus flew into the air, he looked up, and saw two clawed hands clawing through the sky, tearing it open.

"What the…," Laxus snapped, as a massive demon emerged from the tear, and a series of binds constricted him. The demon smiled maliciously, as it reached down at Laxus.

Laxus then suddenly grinned. As he held up a hand, and slammed into the air beside him, which shattered like glass.

The image fell apart, and when it revealed the (mostly) intact cathedral, with Mystogan standing before him.

"You think these sorts of illusions can get me?" Laxus said.

"Well, goading obviously does," Mystogan responded.

With that, the two S-Class mages sprung at each other.

**(in town)**

Natsu looked up. He recognized that magical signature, it was Mystogan. Even amongst Fairy Tail goers, his was a unique style of magic. And the only reason he would be using magic, would be fight Laxus. He then headed in that direction.

**(at the cathedral)**

Mystogan landed on the ground, using his stave to stabilize himself. Unfortunately, he was losing the battle. Yes, he was skilled, but Laxus was more skilled. Not to mention his magic was better in combat, something that Mystogan did not have.

Fortunately, however, the battle had also seemed to have taken a toll and Laxus, which Mystogan was confident would give Natsu another advantage.

Meanwhile, Erza had managed to regain her senses, and was leaned against the wall, panting, rubbing her shoulder, as she watched the battle. This was the first time Erza had actually seen Mystogan's magic in action. It was bizarre, seeming to be focused around the staves he carried. That wasn't unheard of, but those who had such power should not have the level Mystogan seemed to have.

Mystogan blocked another one of Laxus bolts of electricity with his staffs. He was running out of staffs, having been forced to deposit them, and Laxus was apparently not inclined to let Mystogan get them back.

He spun two staffs in his hands, as circles of magic formed around them, saying, "Two Layered Magic Circles: Disks!" Disks of magic then flew at Laxus, who dodged them. But when he did, Mystogan pointed his staves at Laxus, as the disks followed the gestures. In response, Laxus fired bolts of lightning at the discs destroying them.

In the resulting smoke, Mystogan couldn't see him. And Laxus smashed into him, knocking him to the ground. A series of black wrappings fell to the ground, to Erza's surprise. She immediately looked at Mystogan, and what she saw, surprised not only her, but Laxus, who had jumped back.

"Well, can't say I expected that," he said, with a smirk, "Didn't know there was another."

"It can't be," Erza said. Beneath Mystogan's wrappings, was Jellal's face. Everything was the same, down to the same tattoo over his face.

"Jellal?" she asked weakly. "Mystogan" turned solemnly to Erza.

"I heard about what happened at the Tower of Heaven," he said, "I know what you're thinking. And the answer is no. I'm not the Jellal you think I am." Erza opened her mouth, but kept it silent, not knowing what to say.

"Mystogan" then looked to the side, as he sensed something coming.

"Well, I've done the best I can, at this point I'll leave this in more capable hands." With that, he began to fade.

"Wait!" Erza cried, as she tried to get up, but as she did, she fell back down. And by the time she looked up, "Mystogan" had faded away.

Laxus looked at the door, smiling excitedly.

"Finally," he hissed. Erza looked out.

"Natsu," she whispered, smiling lightly. Natsu cracked his neck.

"This ends now," he said.

**Note: This wasn't easy to write. The next one should be better. I was looking forward to Natsu and Laxus battle. I'm hoping to also get Lucy some more stuff to do.**


	44. Natsu vs Laxus

_**Natsu vs Laxus**_

Laxus grinned excitedly as his enemy walked into the cathedral. The black-clad Dragon Slayer cracked his knuckles, as he glared at Laxus. Ezra pressed against the wall, holding her shoulder, cringing.

"Would you like me to humor you, or just end the battle immediately?" Natsu inquired, making a fist, which began to glow. Laxus just laughed.

"If all that black isn't your trademark, then your unending cockiness certainly is," he sneered.

"Look who the hell is talking," Natsu answered, as he took a battle position, "But its no matter, I've beaten you once, I can without a doubt do it again!" With that, he sprung at Laxus, who in turn, sprung at Natsu. The two fists collided. Erza winced as she turned away from the blast.

The two were forced away. Laxus gathered his hands together.

"Lighting Bolt!" A blast of lightning shot at Natsu, who jumped into the air.

"Chaos Dragon's Impact!" he yelled. He then shot at Laxus, who turned to lightning, and cracked away. Natsu smashed into the floor, creating a rather sizable crater. Laxus reformed, as he gathered a ball of electricity into his hands.

"Lightning Orb!" Throwing it down, Natsu held up his arms.

"Chaos Dragons' Shield!" The ball harmlessly bounced off the shield. The same energy gathered into Natsu's mouth, who let out his Chaos Dragon's Roar. Laxus responded by turning into lightning again, and instead of shooting away, he shot at Natsu directly.

Moving too fast for Natsu to dodge, the Dragon Slayer instead had to hold up his arms and block. Laxus re-materialized, and punched an electrically charged fist at Natsu. Normally, Natsu could withstand Laxus' attacks, but this time, he felt more than a little force behind the attack. When Laxus jumped back, Natsu noticed that he was standing in a crater.

_Since when was he this powerful_, Natsu thought, narrowing his eyes. From the sidelines, Erza watched closely.

_Laxus is strong, but he's never been able to defeat Natsu_, she thought, _At the very least, he managed to hold his own. But he's doing far more now._

"Don't look so surprised," Laxus said, still grinning, "You really think you're the only one who gets stronger over time?"

"Do I look like I care?" Natsu responded, "And don't act like _you're_ the only one who gets stronger either!" Not bothering anymore with words, the mages launched at each other again.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"What if Mystogan can't beat Laxus?" Levy asked.

"Then we've got to rely on Natsu," Gray said.

"Well, you said he's beaten Laxus before, right?" Lucy said.

"Aye!" Happy said, raising his paw, "Natsu can definitely beat Laxus up!"

"Regardless, those orbs are still going to be a problem," Gray said, "We can't shoot them down without getting blasted."

"And XingLong can't redirect all of them," Lucy said, referring to the Wave Mage, who was currently on the roof.

"Its a shame," Bisca said, sighing and leaning on her rifle, "If not for the blowback, Alzack and I…" She was briefly silent.

"We forgot about everyone else!" she yelled, "They may not have the word that the barriers are down!"

"That's right, we completely forgot!" Levy cried, "What can we do?"

"Maybe we can go find Warren," Gray said, "His telepathy can spread the word."

"Then we have to find him!" Lucy said.

"That's right, you should!" Gray said, looking at Lucy, while everyone did the same.

"Wait, what?" Lucy cried.

"I'm in no condition to go chasing after him, Levy's needed here to study these orbs, and Bisca has to be the lookout. You're the only who can do this!" Gray said. Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but then a thought came to her.

_I haven't done anything here_, she thought, _I owe it to everyone to help._ She then nodded firmly.

"I'm on it!" With that, Lucy ran out.

**(at the Cathedral)**

Laxus and Natsu continued to slam against each other. Natsu was losing his patience. True it was not as if patience was his strongest suit, but he felt like he should have beaten Laxus by this point. And it was not as if Natsu was holding back, seeing as he never did.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" Natsu roared, as he let out one of his signature attacks. Laxus leapt out of the way.

"Lightning Prong!" he yelled, as he held out both fingers. Two bolts of lightning shot out of them, twisting through the air at Natsu.

"Chaos Dragon's Shield!" As the bolts bounced off, Natsu launched forward, without dissipating the shield.

"Chaos Dragon's Battering Ram!" Laxus turned into lightning, and zoomed away. When he emerged, he was sneering.

"At this point I'm beginning to assume you're just making this up as you go!"

"Its called being resourceful, of course an idiot like you couldn't understand, seeing as none of that energy isn't going to your brain!" Natsu's thinking was to rile Laxus up, get him to make a mistake. His impression of people like Laxus, is that they did not take kindly to people mocking them. But instead of getting angry, Laxus just laughed.

"Really, Dragonia?" he cackled, "Taunts are all you can do?"

"Fights take more than brute force," Natsu said.

"How right you are!" Laxus answered, as dropped his coat off his shoulders, grinning madly, "And how about I give you a proper example?" With that, he turned into lightning, and blasted at Natsu. Anticipating another attack like the earlier one, Natsu from his shield. The lightning hit the shield. But instead of dissipating, it spread out in different directions, around the shield. Before Natsu could react, several bolts of lightning struck at him. While they were weaker individually, they were no less powerful, and Natsu felt them. And they hurt.

The force knocking him away, Erza's eyes widened.

"That's… impossible," she said. Laxus reformed grinning proudly.

"Not a day went by without me waking up desiring to defeat you!" he said, "I always looked for new ways to fight you! New ways to beat you!" Natsu's eyes narrowed, as he wiped the corner of his mouth.

"So you learned out to branch your lightning form slightly? Nothing I can't handle!"

"Oh its far more than that!" Laxus said, as he took a battle position, lightning starting to crackle around him, "I've been holding back, gauging your strength. Time that ended." With that, he gathered up all the lightning into one ball, before launching it into the air.

"Lightning Shower!" The orb then exploded into several bolts of lightning, too many for Natsu to block. Instead, Natsu let out his Roar, intercepting many of the bolts, something that kicked up a lot of dust. Before Natsu could react, Laxus emerged from the dust.

"Lightning Spear!" He launched a spear at Natsu at point blank range. The spear hit Natsu directly, shocking him near into oblivion.

"Natsu!" Erza cried, as she tried to stand, only to fall back down.

Panting, Natsu was on the ground, as he sat up. Laxus stood on one of the seats, laughing cruelly.

"I'm far stronger than when you fought me before!" he declared, "I'm going to beat you this time!" Natsu got up, glaring at Laxus.

"Remember what you said about cockiness earlier?" Natsu asked, "Its increasingly clear that compared to you, I'm the most humble person in the kingdom."

"Says the guy losing the flight," Laxus answered. Natsu just growled, as he stood up straight.

"Seems its time I knocked you down a few notches," he said, as he held out his arms, and held up his head, "I'll end this now!" With that, magically energy began to gather around him.

"That's…," Erza said, remembering what happened in the Tower of Heaven. The magic energy swelled, before concentrating towards his eye. Laxus wasn't smiling anymore, but now silently watching Natsu gather his strength.

"Eye of the…." Before he finished, the magic energy fell apart. Nothing had changed, as Natsu just stood there expectantly.

"What?" he asked, bewildered. Dragon's Eye hadn't activated.

**Note: Okay, here it is. Now first things first, I figured that it would be a boring fight if Natsu just curb stomped Laxus with Dragon's Eye, so you should understand why I did what I did. That said, maybe this fight wasn't satisfactory, but it was only the first part. I intend to expand the fight further.**


	45. Tear Down the Palace!

_**Tear Down the Palace!**_

"This… This is impossible," Natsu stuttered. Dragon's Eye had failed to work. Laxus exploded into laughter.

"All that build up and that's it? Man is that a letdown!" he cackled. Natsu grabbed his necklace, and looked at it carefully. It was still glowing lightly from inside.

_How can this be?_ Natsu thought _I can't be out of magical power yet._ It then dawned on him.

"Don't tell me I can only use Dragon's Eye once a day," he muttered to himself. Though when he thought about it, he had only just achieved this ability, he supposed it was to be expected that he couldn't use it so freely as he may of thought.

Erza cringed, as she watched Natsu. She was certain that considering how easily Natsu defeated Jellal with Dragon's Eye, he could have defeated Laxus as well. But if Natsu couldn't use it then perhaps defeating Laxus would not be as easy as she thought.

Before Natsu could do anything else, Laxus bolted forward, slamming an electrically charged fist into Natsu's gut. The black-clad mage flew back, slamming through the wall. Natsu emerged from the rubble, wiping the side of his mouth.

"It doesn't matter!" he said firmly, "I'll still be able to beat you!" He held up his hands.

"Apocalypse Technique: Chaos Flash!" Several glowing orbs appeared around Laxus, before exploding. Through the dust, Laxus emerged in the form of a lightning bolt. He shot at Natsu, who held up his arms, using his Chaos Shield. Laxus bounced off, before reforming over Natsu.

"Lightning Prong!" The twin bolts of electricity curved towards Natsu. Natsu coated both of his fists with magic power, punch the bolts away.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" he yelled, blasting at Laxus. Laxus turned back into electricity, as he reformed on the ground.

"You've gotten better, I'll give you that," Natsu said.

"That's all you got to say," Laxus said as he cracked his neck, "I'm just getting warmed up." With that, he blasted at Natsu. In response, Natsu blasted at him. The two collided into each other with incredible force that Erza thought would blast her right out the wall.

"Chaos Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu said, as he brought both of his arms down, magic energy gathering around them giving a resemblance to wings. Laxus jumped out of the way.

"Lightning Web!" Spreading his hands out, sending out a series of lightning bolts at Natsu which formed into the style of web, enclosing him.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" The roar blasted away the web, after which Natsu brought his hands together.

"Chaos Dragon's Cannon!" A beam of magic shot from his hands towards Laxus. In response, Laxus brought up his hands. A wall of lightning blocked the worst of the attack, though the force knocked the Lightning Mage back, after which he shot another blast of lightning at Natsu, who punched it away with his Dragon's Fist.

"I don't get why you're doing this!" Natsu said angrily, "What do you have to gain from this?"

"Look who the hell's talking, since when did you care about Fairy Tail?" Laxus sneered right back, as he brought his hands together, sending an orb of electricity at him. After knocking it away, Natsu opened his mouth to answer, but somehow, he couldn't think of a reason for him. He wanted to say that he needed the money, but somehow, that reason didn't seem sufficient.

"Don't turn the question around! I asked you!" Natsu said, as he held up his hands, using his Flash technique again, only for Laxus to turn back into lightning, and get out of the way.

"You of all should know what Fairy Tail has become!" Laxus said, "Its become soft and weak! Phantom Lord has shown our weakness! We must remind everyone of our power! Including our own members!"

Natsu didn't respond, as he just cringed. At one point, he would have been inclined to agree with Laxus on this perspective. He had been raised to believe that the strong had to rule, even if that meant having to crush those who were weak. But something about the events at the Tower of Heaven…

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Natsu sprung at Laxus again, with his Dragon's Fist. Laxus simply sprung into the air, he then rubbed his hands together.

"Flash Bolt!" A huge blast of light came from his hands, that blinded both Natsu and Erza. That briefly blindness gave Laxus the opening he needed. He turned into lightning, and loomed over Natsu.

"Lightning Sting!" He jabbed at Natsu multiple times with lightning charged fingers. Natsu let out a grunt of pain, as he fell to the ground.

"I can't move!" he said. Laxus laughed as he leapt back into the air.

"Its clear to me now that you no longer deserve the moniker as the strongest! Its time you were relieved of it!" He then gathered his hands together, gathering a huge collection of lightning in his hands.

"Raging Bolt!" With that, he blasted down all that lightning in one single blast towards Natsu, who could just watch as the lightning came down on him.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out.

There was a huge explosion where Natsu was. Laxus landed on the ground, as he watched the dust clear, and his grin grew larger as he saw nothing but rubble.

"Where's all that strength now, Chaos Dragon?" he cackled, "Hard to fight when you've been blasted into oblivion!" He continued laughing until a new voice spoke up.

"Last time I checked you were guild mates, and now you're laughing about kill him?" the voice asked. Laxus turned, and standing there was Gajeel, holding Natsu by his belt.

"Look's like its now my job to kick your ass!" he said.

"Gajeel," Erza whispered in surprise.

"The hell are you doing here, Iron Dragon?" Natsu sneered.

"Saving your ass!" Gajeel answered, as he dropped Natsu on the ground.

"I had it completely under control," Natsu answered, as he kicked up magic which cloaked his body. This allowed Natsu to get back up, as he panted.

"Now why don't you go handle those lightning orbs? And leave this idiot to me?" he said.

"I'd say you should do that, seeing as you're the one who's all beat up," Gajeel said, "But unlike you, I'm smart." He the grinned at Natsu.

"What so you and I take him on together?" he asked. At first, Natsu was going to say no. He didn't accept help, much less help offered from a former enemy. But he looked at Laxus. Without Dragon's Eye, this was going to prove challenging, and he couldn't waste time on this guy. He then looked at Erza.

"Scarlet!" he called. Erza looked up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Can you get up?" Natsu asked. Erza cringed, as she struggled, but still managed to get back to her feet.

"I suppose I can," she answered.

"Good," Natsu said, "We're going to deal with this guy. You go out and see if you can do anything about the Thunder Palace." Erza, knowing that was probably all she could at this point, nodded in agreement, before moving out as fast her body was going to allow her.

"Just stay clear of me," Natsu said to Gajeel, as he cracked his knuckles.

"I was about to say the same thing!" Gajeel answered. With that, the two dragons launched at Laxus, who just grinned darkly.

**(in the streets of Magnolia)**

Erza looked up at the sky, as she looked over the multiple Lacrima orbs surrounding the city. She then re-quipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor. With that, she launched several swords into the sky, which slashed through the orbs cleanly. In response, the lighting bolts shot down to her. Erza tried to re-quip her lighting armor, but was too slow, as the lightning struck her.

The red-head let out a cry of pain, as she almost fell down, but she refused to fail. With that she held up her swords, as she got ready to launch again, but then a voice ran through her mind.

"_Everyone!"_ Erza held up her head in surprise. It was Warren's voice.

**(somewhere else in Magnolia)**

"Warren?" Lisanna asked. She and Cana were sitting on the ground, having refused to fight each other for this issue.

"What's going on?" Cana asked, looking up.

"_The barriers are down! Freed's been beaten! And the girls are safe!"_ Warren said.

**(somewhere else)**

"Bisca's safe?" Alzack cried out. He hadn't been beaten yet, but he was rather seriously been beaten up. But now that Bisca was safe…

**(on top of a building)**

Warren, more than a little beaten up, was standing on the roof, his fingers on his forehead. Standing behind him was Lucy.

She'd found Warren on the ground, and managed to help him back on his feet. Remembering that Warren could use telepathy, and with that, Lucy opted to try and spread for the word.

"_I'm speaking for Lucy!"_ Warren said_, "She told him that Mirajane's beat him! We don't have to fight anymore!"_

Lucy could hear faint cheers from around Magnolia about the battle being over, and she herself let out a quick sigh of relief.

"But its not over!" she said, "Tell everyone to look up at those Lacrima orbs!" Warren relayed that, and Lucy explained the situation.

**(with Erza)**

"_Everyone, we've got to destroy those orbs! Together!"_

Erza heard those words, and could only smile, as she stood up. Something about hearing everyone returned her strength. She remembered Makarov once telling her that it was something in the Fairy Tail guild that linked people. She then looked up, and held up another series of swords. With a yell, she shot her swords into the air at the orbs. Throughout the town, blasts of magic emerged, towards the orbs. Each orb was destroyed, and bolts of lightning descended upon the ground. Erza closed her eyes to take it, but they never came.

She opened them, and saw the lightning curving away, and colliding with a distant mountain.

"What?" she muttered.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

The girls of Fairy Tail, with the exception of Lucy, along with Gray, had their arms held up to XingLong, who was in a battle position, panting. They had focused their magic on him, allowing XingLong to redirect the bolts of lightning.

"You did it!" Levy said. XingLong turned to them, still panting.

"I suppose now's a good time to ask," he said, "Can I join the guild?"

"I'm sure as hell you can," Gray said, with a thumbs-up. XingLong smiled back, before collapsing to the ground, passed out.

**(at the cathedral)**

The Dragon Slayers and Laxus were still fighting ferociously. Every attack they seemed to through, Laxus either blocked, or dodged. But it was becoming apparent that Laxus was on the losing end, and Natsu and Gajeel knew that.

"Iron Dragon's Spear!" Laxus ducked, only for Natsu to appear over him.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he said, as he slammed Laxus in the side, and threw him into the wall.

"Redfox!" Natsu called out.

"On it!" Gajeel said, as he took a breath, as did Natsu.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!"

"Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The two breath attacks shot from both ends at Laxus, creating a huge explosion of energy that blew the roof off the cathedral.

Both Natsu and Gajeel were tired, but Natsu was more so. He looked at his necklace, the glow was slightly dimmer. _I really hope this is over_ he thought to himself, looking on as the dust settled.

To his horror, the figure of Laxus stood up.

"Looking back, it was probably a stretch to assume I would be able to beat you both as things stand," he said, "I should've gone all out immediately." He then looked up, his eyes glowing fiercely, as lighting crackled around his body.

"Time to show you what I can really do!" With that, lightning exploded around him.

"What in the hell?" Gajeel said. But Natsu recognized it.

"That impossible," he muttered.

Laxus' canines turned into fangs, as scales appeared over his body.

"That can't be!" Gajeel said, now noticing it as well. Laxus just smiled, that seemed darker than all the others before it.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" he yelled.

**Note: I was initially going to establish Lightning Dragon in this chapter, but figured it should get a whole chapter of its own, so I decided to tear down the Thunder Palace, and have Gajeel arrive in this chapter. I hope its satisfactory. A lot is probably going to happen next time.**

**On an unrelated note, I was considering during a story where canon Natsu gets Dragon's Eye. It would be "Eye of the Fire Dragon". What do you think?**


	46. Lighting Dragon Slayer

_**Lightning Dragon Slayer**_

"Are you sure?" Levy asked.

"As things stand, yes," Porlyuisica said sadly, "There is only a slight chance that I'll be able to amend this."

Levy was silent, as tears began to pool in her eyes. With that, she ran out of the room, and out onto the street. She was heading towards the cathedral.

**(at the cathedral)**

Both Natsu and Gajeel were sent careening away. Natsu crashed into the chairs, while Gajeel smashed into the wall. When they emerged, they stared at Laxus.

"How in the hell?" Natsu muttered. Laxus sneered, as he flexed his scaled arms, and are his reptilian fangs. Gajeel growled angrily.

"You shouldn't have this power," he said, "Everyone know you weren't raise by a dragon. The old man confirms it."

"Such arrogance," Laxus said, "Don't think that you can only gain magic one way."

"That may be, but Dragon Slayer Magic is one of those magics," Natsu said.

"That is where you incorrect. Besides, how I got my power doesn't matter," he said, "The fact of the matter is that I have it, and with that, I can and will defeat both you." Natsu stood up, facing Laxus.

"Regardless, I find the idea of you possessing such power insulting," he said, as his hands blazed with dark power, "I'm going to rip you to pieces."

"Not if I do it first," Gajeel said, as his skin became coated in iron scales, "Only people like Dragonia and I deserve these abilities."

With that, Laxus held up his hands, which were crackling with lightning.

"Lightning Dragon's Canon!" With that, a blast of lightning of lightning shot at the two Dragon Slayers. Both of them leapt out of the way.

"So you just stole some of my attacks?" Natsu asked, "That's really it?"

"Far from it," Laxus answered, "Lighting Dragon's Whip!" He smashed his hands together, before forming a long stream of electricity, which he lashed around. The whip lashed past Gajeel, who managed to avoid it, leaving a massive gash across the wall. The whip lashed again at Gajeel, who held up his arms in an attempt to block. However, the whip instead wrapped around his arm.

"Lightning Dragon's Fist!" Laxus jumped at Gajeel, before slamming his fist into the Iron Dragon Slayer's gut, which smashed him into the ground.

Taking advantage of the divergence of Laxus' attention, Natsu went back on the offensive.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" He let out one of his signature attacks, which Laxus dodged by turning into lightning. He then bolted towards Natsu.

"Lightning Dragon's Harpoon!" The bolt of lightning then pierced straight through Natsu's shoulder, who let out a howl of agony. As Natsu fell to the ground, he thought about his situation. He didn't know what to do at this point, seeing as he was completely unprepared to fight against power like this. If he could use Dragon's Eye, he probably would have been able to defeat Laxus, but the fact of the matter was that he couldn't use that power, so he had to find a different means by which to fight against Laxus.

Said mage reformed atop the altar, smirking his agonizingly smug smirk.

"All the times you've battled me before, never have you faced power like this," Laxus explained, as he clenched his fists. He then inhaled deeply.

"Lighting Dragon's Roar!" Natsu held up his arms. His shield managed to form, but the forced still sent him flying away.

"Chaos Dragon's Flight!" he declared. With that, Natsu rocketed at Laxus.

"Chaos Dragon's Impact!" He attempted to slam into Laxus, but the lighting user turned back into lightning, and escaped. As he reformed, Gajeel appeared behind him.

"Iron Dragon's Mace!" His hand turned into a mace, which he swung at Laxus, only for him to catch it.

"Lighting Dragon's Talon!" He struck Gajeel across the face, sending him back into the ground. With that, Laxus turned back towards Natsu, as the Chaos Dragon Slayer held up his own fist.

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!" he cried. There was a flash, and for a brief instance, Natsu thought he had finally landed a blow, but when the dust faded, he saw Laxus had caught the fist.

"Nice try, but I'm afraid not," he sneered. With that, Laxus opened his mouth, and let out his roar, which hit Natsu point blank. Natsu body was smashed into the rubble.

Laxus landed on the ground, panting, as he smiled. Both Natsu and Gajeel were on the ground, not moving. He was sure was victorious, but then both his opponents grunted. The smile turned into a look of rage that defied explanation.

"NO!" Laxus bellowed, "You can't still be alive!"

"And yet we still are," Natsu said. He was trying to sound strong, but he was not feeling it. In fact, he could be barely feel anything at all. Much, if not all, of his body was paralyzed. And he doubted Gajeel was any better, and he would certainly be right in that respect.

Laxus body pulsed with rage, as his lightning crackled around him. With that, he held up his arms.

"I'm going to end this here and now!" he said, as golden energy began to glow around him.

"I know that power!" Gajeel said. It was all too similar to the one he saw during the guild war with Phantom Lord. He didn't know exactly what it was, but what he did know was that it defeated Jose.

"You can't be serious!" Natsu said, "How can you of all people have that power?"

"Fairy Tail is in my blood," Laxus explained, "And with this, I can, and will end you!" With that, Laxus brought his hands together, and got ready to enact the spell, when a female voice called out.

"Laxus!" Everyone looked over, and saw Levy standing at the doorway, panting.

"The hell are you doing here?!" Gajeel demanded, but Levy ignored him, looking straight at Laxus.

"What's so important that'd you interrupt me?" he inquired. Levy took a deep breath, before Laxus in the eye.

"The Master, your grandfather, is dying!" she cried.

The air turned very still, as the words sank in. Natsu was in shock. The Master was one of the strongest men he knew, and it didn't seem like anything could bring him down, but was this really it? Gajeel was also in a state of shock and horror at this information.

"You have to go to him!" Levy said, "You, of all people, need to be by his side at this time!" Laxus was silent, but then, he began to snicker, which quickly evolved into his standard, manically cackle. The other three could just stare in surprise at how he was acting.

"That's fantastic!" Laxus declared, "Half my work is already done! Once that old man finally croaks, taking over will be that easily!" Everyone just stared at Laxus in shock.

"But…," Levy began.

"You think I care? Are you really that stupid? I care for one thing, and that is strength! Everything else is just a means by which to get more strength!" Laxus proclaimed, "Nothing more, and nothing less!"

Natsu listened to that, as his rage began to build. But this rage was different, and remembered Acnologia, the only father figure he had for a long time, and how Natsu lost him.

"You heartless bastard," he muttered. All eyes fell to Natsu, as magic swelled around his body, and he slowly began to shift back to knees.

"That man cared for you from the beginning," Natsu continued, "And now, as he lies on his deathbed, you have the nerve, the audacity to laugh at it." He then looked at Laxus, his face filled with anger that no one had ever seen before.

"People are the lowliest of scum."

Laxus smile twisted into a scowl, as he gathered the magic around him.

"Enough talk, I'm going to silence you here and now!" With that, he held up his hands.

"And with this, I bring about the new era of Fairy Tail!" he declared, "Fairy Law!"

The golden light surged over the whole of Magnolia, before bolting down in one singular strike.

**Note: Sorry about the length, but I wanted to divide the scenes so as to enhance the drama. And if you are wondering about Natsu's brief speech about Laxus' apathy towards Makarov, think about Natsu lost Acnologia, so he knows the pain of losing a parental figure. The notion of someone not caring, makes him beyond angry.**

**On a different note, I've put up a new poll, about whether or not I should do "Eye of the Fire Dragon". I closed the poll of the pairing, since its basically just come down to Lucy or Erza.**


	47. Conviction

_**Conviction**_

"Fairy Law!"

The symbol of Fairy Tail flashed over the cathedral. The golden light flooded the building, before sweeping over the entire town.

When the light had faded, Laxus was panting heavily. He then smiled.

"Finally, I've…," but he was abruptly silenced. The dust faded, and everyone was completely unscathed.

For a while, it seemed as though sound had simply ceased to exist. No one spoke, or even seemed to breathe. Laxus was in complete shock, staring at his hands. Natsu and Gajeel also astounded. They was certain they going to die at that moment, seeing as that spell was said to erase the enemies of the user.

"This is… this is impossible," Laxus stuttered, "Why hasn't the spell worked? It should have obliterated all of you!"

"Its simple, Laxus," a familiar voice said. Everyone turned, and saw Freed, battered and bruised from his battle with Mirajane, but back on his feet.

"Freed, what are you doing here?" Laxus demanded.

"You should know something," Freed explained.

"And what would that be?"

"Not a soul was lost in the entire town." Laxus balked at that information, as he looked back at his hands.

"But they were all my enemies!" he said, "Fairy Law destroys my enemies! I cast that spell flawlessly!"

"They may have been enemies in your mind," Freed explained, "But not in your heart." Laxus looked up in surprise.

"That's right," Levy said, "They say Fairy Law can only defeat those who the user considers their enemies, in their heart. And if it didn't work…"

"Then your heart has not accepted anyone in this town as your enemies," Freed continued.

"That can't be!" Laxus declared.

"You've got more than just the Master's strength, but I'm afraid you've also got his heart," the green-haired warrior said, "And no matter what you say, deep inside, everyone will always be your comrades."

Natsu was at complete loss at that. Laxus, had considered him to be a comrade? Natsu, of all people, shouldn't have been that. He had been nothing but trouble to the guild all this time, and yet….

"The spell read Laxus' heart," Levy said, "And that's why it didn't work."

"Enough of this Laxus!" Freed yelled, "This hasn't gained you anything! Just stop! Go see the Master now, before its too late!" Laxus growled, as his body pulsed, and his Dragon Force was enhanced.

"Never! That old man is nothing to me! All that we've got in common is blood!" he roared, "BECAUSE I'M STRONGER!" With that, the air exploded with electricity. Gajeel got in front of Levy to block the attacks. Natsu managed to get on his feet to stand to face Laxus.

"Even through all this, you still refuse to see the man who has given you everything?" Natsu said. Laxus turned to him, as the black-clad mage got to his feet. Natsu faced him directly, as magic flared around him.

"And now you call yourself stronger than him?" Natsu continued, before his eyes flashed, as his power exploded, "You don't deserve to call yourself his grandson!" With that, he sprang at Natsu, holding his fist up. Laxus held up his own fist, and the two smashed together, sending a huge wave, that broke all the remaining windows in the cathedral.

Natsu quickly followed up with a kick, that Laxus ducked from, before punching Natsu in the gut, sending him careening into the air, and through the ceiling. Natsu was soon on the top of the bell tower, on his back. He got up, as Laxus rematerialized from lightning over him, before punching straight down, driving the Chaos Dragon Slayer through the structure, and onto the roof. He kicked Laxus off, before launching himself at the Lightning Dragon Slayer. Laxus was hit straight in the gut. Natsu then charged his Dragon's Roar, but before he could release it, Laxus kicked him in the side, causing Natsu to instead fire into the sky. Laxus then grabbed Natsu by the shoulder, and threw him aside. Natsu managed to get a hold on the roof. He skidded to a halt, before landing flat on his face.

Laxus stood in front of Natsu, clearly exhausted, but still in slightly better shape.

"Just give up already!" he said, "Can't you see you've lost?"

"I'll… never give up…. to anyone, much less you," Natsu stuttered, still face down.

"Then I'll end this here and now!" Laxus said, as he charged his attack, "Lighting Dragon's Ultimate Bolt!" He then released a massive bolt of lightning, which hit Natsu directly.

"Natsu!" Levy cried out. She, Gajeel (who Levy was supporting), and Freed were all outside now, watching in shock.

Laxus panted, but still smirked, his eyes glowing malevolently.

"Didn't that old dragon teach you to respect your elders, kid?" he sneered. But with a sudden grunt, Natsu got back up to his feet.

"That can't be!" Freed said, "After all that, he can still fight?"

"Damn Dragonia, how much can you take?" Gajeel muttered.

"FINE THEN!" Laxus bellowed, "THAT WAS YOUR LAST CHANCE! NOW I'M GOING TO ANNIHILATE YOU!" He held up his arm, as a massive magic seal appeared over, lightning amassing around it.

"What? No!" Freed yelled, "Don't do it Laxus, you'll kill him!"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?!" Laxus roared, "LIGHTNING DRAGON'S HEAVENLY ARROW!" He released the lightning a long, thin bolt, which took the shape of a spear. Natsu saw it coming, and tried to move, but his legs wouldn't obey him. Instead, they just collapsed, as Natsu waited for the attack to strike.

"NATSU!" Freed cried, as Levy closed her eyes.

But before the bolt could strike, it suddenly curved away, much to everyone's shock. Instead, it struck an iron pole, which just so happened to be Gajeel's arm. During Laxus focus on Natsu, Gajeel had managed to climb onto the roof, and redirect the lightning. The blast hit him dead on, and sent him flying.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried.

"He used himself as a lighting rod!" Freed said.

"The hell are you waiting for, Dragonia?!" Gajeel yelled, "Kick his ass!" Natsu watched in surprised, before his face turned into one of pure anger. But this anger was different, unlike any he had felt before, and with a roar, his body exploded with magic, before springing at Laxus.

"It can't be!" Laxus said, "No one can survive that!"

"Chaos Dragon's Fist!"

"Talon!"

"Wing!"

"Tail!"

Each attack his Laxus straight on, dealing massive damage each time. As he fought, memories came back to Natsu: the Tower of Heaven, when Erza helped him; the aftermath at the village, where they treated him with kindness despite everything; Lucy's kindness and generosity to him; and the vision he had when he first unlocked Dragon's Eye.

"All this time!" Natsu said, as he continued his attack, "Since I first arrived, I've been nothing but selfish and ungrateful! I treated them like dirt, and walked over them like such! But still, they gave me food! They gave me a means of living! They gave me a home! And I repaid them with more selfishness! And yet still they treated be with compassion and kindness! Now its time I start accepting that!" He then slammed his fist into Laxus gut again.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT FAIRY TAIL!" Natsu roared with more conviction than anything he had said before. With that, he leapt over Laxus, holding his hands up, as a dark orb gathered in them.

"So, this is the true power, of a Dragon Slayer?" Freed murmured.

"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!" Natsu cried, "Apocalypse Descending!" With that, he crashed down at Laxus, slamming the orb into his gut, and sending him through the roof, and onto the floor.

When the dust cleared, it showed Laxus unconscious, and beaten.

"He won," Levy said.

"Yes, he really did," Freed said.

Gajeel just smiled at the sky.

Natsu fell to his knees, breathing heavily, before looking to the sky, and letting out a roar of victory.

**Note: So here's the end of the battle with Laxus, I did my best to merge it with Natsu's current power level, without it being completely lopsided. I remember one reviewer commenting how I don't have the balls to actually go through with Natsu being OP, but I think everyone knows that if I did that, the story would be very boring. Now, sorry this was so short, but I felt it appropriate to end when I did. Next chapter will of course be the Fantasia parade and such. Now I hope Natsu's character development was good, and I figured that its 47 chapters in, so now's probably a good time.**

**With that said, something I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned (I only think one person has, was the lack of the Galuna Island arc, despite it exploring Gray's character. I omitted it because I couldn't properly compromise Natsu with the story. So I'm going to do an arc of my own creation after this one which will fill in the blanks. Also, I'm going to do a mini-arc explaining Lucy's backstory and the reasons behind Phantom Lord, which I will admit, completely slipped my mind. Then we'll move on to Oracion Seis.**

**On a different note, the poll is up in case you missed it. So far i've got 26 votes for "yes", and 7 votes for "no". It seems like I may be writing that story as things stand.**

**Wow, that was really long, but I had to establish everything.**


	48. Fantasia

_**Fantasia**_

Magnolia had more or less calmed down. They were working on repairing whatever had been destroyed, during Fairy Tail's battle.

"Did you hear about the Master?" one bystander said, "I hear he's sick or something."

"Yeah, I heard that to," another one said, "Maybe age is finally catching up to him. He should retire."

"And leave the guild to Laxus? Are you kidding?"

"He's not a bad guy," one older man said, "I knew him since he was young."

"But what about now? I can't imagine a guy like that leading Fairy Tail!"

As they talked, Porlyusica walked past them, smiling slightly, as she left the town.

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"With all thanks to Porlyusica, the Master will be just fine," Erza announced, "He'll be back on his feet in no time at all!" Everyone cheered loudly at the announcement.

"Thank god, who could replace him at this point?" Cana asked, "Its beyond great that he pulled through."

"Well, he's still not as young as he used to be," Erza said, "We need to remember that."

Lucy took a breath, as she collapsed on a chair.

"Why are you doing that?" Happy asked curiosuly, "You weren't hurt."

"I know I wasn't," Lucy said, "But so much happened today, its exhausting by extension."

"You're so wimpy," Happy said cheerfully, as he began munching on a fish. Lucy didn't have the conviction to knock Happy upside the head.

**(in the infmary)**

Lisanna and Mirajane were standing by Elfman's bedside, who was still unconscious.

"This is all my fault," Lisanna said, holding Elfman's hand.

"You know that's not true," Mirajane said, looking at the youngest sister.

"But I shouldn't have let Elfman do anything like that," Lisanna said.

"Don't say that." The sister's eyes whirled to Elfman, who opened his eyes slowly, and smiled.

"A real man makes sacrifices to protect his loved ones," he said. Both sisters cried out, as they hugged their brother.

**(in the guild)**

"So we're still doing the parade?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," Levy said, "After all that happened, its the best way to cheer everyone up."

"I can't wait to see how its going to be!" Juvia said excitedly.

"You'll do more than see little lady," Cana said as she leaned over. Juvia let out a cry of surprise.

"You're in the guild, of course you'll be in it," Gray said. Juvia scurried to the corner, a haze over her.

"But I was a new member so I thought…," she said nervously, "I have no idea what to do."

"Relax," Macao said, "Its not complicated."

"Besides, seeing as how many people out of commission, we'll need as many people as we can spare," Wakaba said.

"Yeah, because we can't use them," Gray said, jerking his thumb at Natsu and Gajeel, who were all bandaged up, Natsu less than Gajeel, but still.

"Screw both you, and your stupid parade," Gajeel said grumpily.

"Can you even imagine me in one?" Natsu said. Lucy chuckled at the sight of two sitting next to each other.

"Hey, is it true Natsu?" Happy said, fluttering over, "Did you really say you wouldn't let Laxus hurt Fairy Tail?"

"Who told you that?" Natsu asked.

"Levy," Happy said. Natsu looked at Levy, who let out a yelp, and scurried behind Lucy.

"You'll protect me, right Lu?" she asked.

"I wouldn't count on it," Lucy said with a sweat drop. Natsu looked at them, before sighing.

"It doesn't matter, can't change the past," he said. That caught everyone off guard, seeing as Natsu didn't take stuff like that lightly. But everyone's attention was shifted as the door's swung open. Standing there was Laxus.

"What's he doing here?"

"Does he think he can just waltz in after everything he did?"

Laxus strolled right into the building, where he was quickly surrounded.

"Where's the old man?" he asked plainly.

"Like hell we're telling you after all this!" Droy said.

"Yeah, get out!" Jet said. Everyone voiced their agreement until Erza's voice rang out.

"Let him pass!" she ordered.

"But Erza?" Bisca asked.

"Just do it," Erza said. People slowly parted, as Laxus marched through. As he walked past, Laxus and Natsu looked each other in the eye. A tense silence passed over the guild, until Laxus nodded at Natsu respectively. After a brief pause, Natsu nodded back.

"I don't know why everyone is so tense about," Lucy said, "Didn't he lose?"

"That's a nice way of putting it," Gajeel said as he limped up, "It was more of a draw, and everyone knows it. If that guy had been there during Phantom Lord, I probably wouldn't be here."

People watched Laxus walked into the infirmary, until Erza spoke up again.

"Enough of that," she said, "Let's get ready for the parade!" Everyone cheered out.

**(in the infirmary)**

"Still as rowdy as ever," Laxus said, leaning on the door. Makarov remained silent for a time, staring at the ceiling while on his bed.

"Do you come to expect anything else?" he asked.

"No, I suppose not," Laxus answered.

There was a pause, as grandfather and grandson thought about their next words.

"Why did you do it?" Makarov asked. Laxus stared at the floor.

"Looking back, I don't really know," he said.

"You should have known better," Makarov said, as he got out of bed, and walked to the window, "That's not the way this guild works."

"I know that," Laxus responded.

"I'm not sure you do," Makarov said, "If there is one thing Fairy Tail is not about, its strength! Fairy Tail is a place for camaraderie. A place where one can find work, a place where they can be with others, and where children who have no family to call their own, can find one." He turned, and looked Laxus directly into the eyes.

"I don't own Fairy Tail, no one does," he continued, "Its important that everyone is loyal, as well as trustworthy. If we don't have our bonds, then the guild would disintegrate. And today you showed that you lacked both. You put your guild mates in danger, and that's the worst of all."

"I understand that," Laxus said, clenching his fists, "I didn't want to hurt the guild. But deep down, I sincerely believed that I was doing was best for it." Makarov looked at Laxus, before approaching him.

"At the rate you're going, you'll be in this room with me," Makarov said with a sigh, "You need time to look back on everything, come to an understanding, and see what you haven't been able to see before." Laxus remained silent.

"I tried my best to make sure you understood anything," Makarov said sadly, as he stared at the ground, "And yet still somewhere I went wrong. And now I have only one choice." He looked straight at Laxus.

"Laxus, you are hereby excommunicated from Fairy Tail!"

The air was sucked from the room, as the words sunk in. Laxus remained still as a stature, his expression unreadable.

"I understand," Laxus said, as he turned to walk away. Makarov also turned away.

"Thanks, Grandpa," he then said. Makarov remained silent tears pooling in his eyes.

"Just get out of here!" he forced out, as Laxus obediently took his leave.

**(in Magnolia park)**

"You've been excommunicated?" Freed called out. Laxus nodded. He was meeting with the Thunder God Tribe to tell them. So far, they weren't taking the news well.

"You can't be kicked out!" Evergreen cried out.

"We're just as guilty as you are!" Bixlow said.

"Guilty! Guilty!" his dolls echoed.

"Well that's not how the old man sees it," Laxus said.

"Well if you're leaving, then we're leaving too!" Evergreen said firmly.

"No kidding! You're the reason we've stayed!" Bixlow agreed.

"You guys are such a pain in the ass," Laxus said with a sigh, "Just say goodbye, and be done with it."

"But I don't get it," Freed said, "We played just a big a role as you did. We can't let you take all the blame."

"Listen guys," Laxus said, "No matter what you say, you're far more attached to this guild than you lead on."

"Let us take to the Master!" Evergreen said, "We'll convince him otherwise!"

"Yeah, and Natsu and Erza respect you too! They'll be on our side!" Bixlow said. He wasn't so sure about Natsu, but if what Freed told him was true, then he should have.

Laxus just smiled, as he turned to walk away.

"See you around," he said with a wave.

"Laxus wait!"

"Don't leave us!"

The only who was silent was Freed, as he just smiled. _Til next time, Laxus_ he thought.

**(somewhere)**

In a distant wasteland covered in rocks, Ultear stood atop one of them, next to her was a floating orb.

"_You've done well, and what of Jellal?"_ a disembodied voice asked.

"Honestly I don't care, not in the least," Ultear answered.

"_And he never realized your role in all this?"_

"No I suppose not," Ultear explained, as she looked into the orb, "He was cute, but not particularly bright."

"Still, I think of Jellal," Ultear said, "And how after all this time, he still couldn't put together I was the one who spoke to him at that point, not Lord Zeref." She watched the orb as it showed the image of a young Jellal communicating with the shadow.

""_Your abilities always impress me. With the Magic Council in turmoil, the Etherion fired, and the Cursed One making an appearance. Its a great victory for us."_

"What of the Cursed One?" Ultear inquired, "Should we be worried about it?"

"_Tch, the Cursed One is of no consequence," _the voice continued_, "It doesn't go out of its way to get involved with anything. Besides, one of the keys is in my position, so it doesn't matter."_

"No I suppose it does not," Ultear answered, "Though I can't help but think of what happened to our dear Jellal."

**(later on the streets of Magnolia)**

The parade began not long after sundown. A massive train of flats descended down the streets, as a huge crowed assembled to see it.

The first of the float, was of a giant Happy with a fish, and fittingly enough, on the top of the float, was Happy himself. He jumped into the air, proclaiming "AYE", as if announcing the coming of the parade. Behind him, were an intricate series of floats, each one with different members of Fairy Tail on them.

On one, were Lucy, Levy, and Bisca, who were waving flags, and dressed in matching outfits. As an added touch, Lucy released Pisces, who were flying in a spiral above the float. **(note: aside from Aquarius, the only spirit I can think of that could be aesthetically pleasing is Pisces)**. Following after them, was Cana, who brought out all her cards, floating in the air, before each one flashed into a letter, spelling out "Fairy Tail". Not far behind were Macao and Wakaba, who used their respective Flare and Smoke magics to create an intricate series of

Next, came a float where Elfman and Mirajane, in Beast Soul and Satan Soul respectively. Mirajane stood on Elfman's shoulders, laughing like a villain from a story book, while Elfman roared. Behind them, was a castle prop. The castle suddenly opened up, revealing Liana in a princess style dress. She opened her arms, before kissing both her siblings on the cheek. Both of them then turned back into their natural forms, like a story from, well, a fairy tale, making everyone cheer.

Coming up after that, was a float with Alzack, Jet, and Droy, each dressed in some elaborate costume, with Laki briefly floating by on a wooden horse. The next float had Reedus, who painted on massive letters which formed Fairy Tail. The one after that had Warren and Max, as all the other members presented their stuff for the people.

On was with Gray and Juvia. Juvia, in a rare moment of personal restraint, was not jumping all over Gray. Instead, the two were dressed like royalty, with a big ice castle behind them. Gray looked at Juvia, who nodded in understanding. She then waved her arms, sending great tendrils of water creasing through the air, which Gray promptly froze, creating a beautiful sight of ice sculpture.

Finally, there was Erza, who was dressed in one of her more intricate, showy suits of armor, held up one sword, as others ringed around her in a display. She then flashed a new requip, into even more flamboyant, and considerably revealing armor. She held up her sword, sending the swords swinging through the air, to which people cheered to. Erza thought she saw her old friends watching her, which made Erza smile even more.

From the side, XingLong watched. He didn't feel it would be right for him to be in the parade, since he just joined. Next year though, definitely. But the sight of this made him smile. He looked at the orange guild mark on his palm. For the first time in a while, he felt… at home.

At the end of the float, where some them hadn't started their route, Makarov was standing, getting ready. He heard someone coming up, and saw Gajeel walking up, on his crutch.

"You sure you don't want to do this?" Makarov asked.

"Completely," Gajeel answered, "Being in the spotlight? Not my thing."

"I'd be more inclined to believe that before I saw your whole 'shooby do ba' shtick," Makarov said with a playful grin. Gajeel flushed red.

"So what brings you here?" Makarov asked. Gajeel looks down.

"I haven't been able to get that much information on Raven Tail."

"Really?" Makarov inquired.

"'Fraid so," Gajeel answered. Makarov took a breath.

"Iwan is getting more cunning," he said, "But don't worry about, he's in no place to hurt Fairy Tail."

"That's good to hear, which reminds me, have you seen Dragonia?" Gajeel asked.

"I figured he was in the infirmary with you," Makarov said.

The parade continued on, as Laxus watched from an alley, a soft smile on his face, as he remembered.

Suddenly, a black shape soared over them.

The shape flew over all the floats, as everyone looked up in surprise. They were even more surprised, when that shape turned out to be Natsu, not wearing his bandages. He landed on the float in front, as he sent Happy flapping away in fear. The parade abruptly stopped, as a silence set over the entire crowd. Never had Natsu made an appearance.

"What's he doing?" Lucy whispered to Levy.

"I don't know," Levy said. Erza scowled at the sight of Natsu, and she instinctively got ready to fight.

Natsu then brought his hands together, creating an orb of black and blue energy in them.

"Look out!" Erza cried, as she re-quipped into Heaven's Wheel. Mirajane and Elfman got ready to fight, as did Gray and Juvia. Even Laxus did. Lucy watched in silence.

Natsu then shot the orb into the air. The orb streamed through the sky, before forming into the shape of a great black and blue, with bright red eyes. The dragon soared through the air, swooping over the town, as everyone instinctively ducked. Then the dragon turned back up, spinning, before folding its wings in, and compressing back into a ball. Then the ball exploded in a breathtaking display of light, that covered almost all the town.

The crowd cheered greater than they have ever before, and after a brief period of shock, Fairy Tail erupted into cheers as well. Lucy smiled warmly at the sight, as did Erza.

"Well I'll be damned," Gray said, also smiling, "Never thought I'd see the day."

"That was amazing Natsu!" Happy said, as he floated up to the Dragon Slayer. Natsu remained silent, before nodding to Happy.

"The hell are we waiting for!" the voice of the Master called from his float, "We got a parade to do!" With that, the parade progressed, to everyone's delight. Natsu kept his place on the lead float, as he shot out more demonstrations of power.

Laxus watched Natsu, smiling, remembering when that boy first came to Fairy Tail. He then let out a sigh, as he turned to walk away.

_(Flashback)_

"_Hey Gramps!" a young Laxus said, as he hurried over to Makarov._

"_What is it, Laxus?" Makarov answered, turning to his grandson._

"_I heard you aren't going to be in the parade? Why?" Laxus asked_

"_Cause this is your day!" Makarov said._

"_But how will I see you in the crowd?"_

"_Don't worry about that, the spotlights on you."_

"_Yeah, but…," Laxus paused, thinking before getting idea, "I'll do this!" He pointed into the air abruptly._

"_What's that?" Makarov asked._

"_Its a signal," Laxus said, "It means that even I can't see you, I'll be looking your way." Makarov teared up at that._

"_That's my boy."_

_(End Flashback)_

Laxus looked at his hand, as he remembered. He continued to walk away, before seeing something familiar out of the corner of his eye.

He turned, and to his shock, he saw Makarov pointing up. Soon every Fairy Tail member had the same gesture, even Natsu.

Laxus teared up at the sight.

"You crazy old man," he whispered, crying slightly.

_Even if I can't see you, _Makarov thought _But I'll be looking your way._

_I know, thank you Grandpa, _Laxus thought. **(note: this happens in the story too, weird, but very touching)**

The parade continued on, as the celebration went through the night. Everyone there was cheering and celebrating. Save for one man. He stood in the back of the crowd, watching the parade pass by in silence. He was wearing a black cloak that covered his body, and a hood. And his face was obscured by a blue mask with intricate carvings. The Masked Man watched as Fairy Tail did its celebration, before silently returning to the shadows.

But nobody paid any attention to one man amongst many, as everyone was so caught up in the celebration. As Lucy continued to dance, she thought about everything that happened.

_Its amazing. After everything that happened, when we had to fight each other, not even slightly did that damage our bonds. And it helped, to create a new one._

Natsu then looked back on everyone. They all then looked in Natsu's direction, and they all just stared, mouths open. For the first time ever, Natsu was smiling.

**Note: Something I find interesting is that this story has created a fanfic sub-genre where Natsu is raised by Acnologia. I'm glad to know that what I conceived on a whim has become what it is now.**

**And now there's a guy watching Fairy Tail from the shadows, wearing a mask. Who could that guy be? PS, I based the mask on the "Morokei" mask from Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.**

**Coming up next will be an omake chapter, as a cool down after this arc. After that, I'll get into an arc of my own creation, so as to replace the Galuna Island Arc.**


	49. Changeling

_**Changeling**_

Lucy let out a groan, as she fell face down onto the bar.

"What's wrong?" Lisanna asked, as she put the glass she was cleaning down.

"I need money," Lucy groaned, "Rent is due next week, and I haven't been able to get a single job done."

"Why haven't you been able to?"

"Everything is either too cheap, or too tough," Lucy bemoaned, "All the really good paying ones are too dangerous."

"You know you could always ask something to come with you," Lisanna suggested.

"Like who?"

"Me!" Happy said as he jumped onto Lucy's shoulder, "I can bring all the tasty fish on the quest!"

"Thanks but fish isn't for me," Lucy said.

"How can you say that!" Happy cried out, as if Lucy had just spoken some horrible curse.

"Well, there's always Gray."

"I would, but Juvia would hunt me down," Lucy explained.

"What about Erza? Or Mirajane?" Lisanna asked, "Heck, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but what about Natsu?" Since the Fantasia Parade, which caught everyone off guard, Natsu had actually been present at the guild for a considerable amount of time. He wasn't talking much, but he was still around, and wasn't glaring at anyone, something that looked strange.

"I don't know," Lucy said with a sigh, putting her face back on the bar, "I'm not sure I'm ready to go and ask Natsu to come with me."

Natsu overheard that from his seat near one of the windows. He felt like going over to Lucy and offering to join her, but he felt like he shouldn't at this point. Chances are he would have to do more than just participate in a parade before he could offer to join others on their jobs. Natsu then looked at his hand. This feeling may have been alien, but it was no less real.

Lucy thought about that, when Erza and Gray came up.

"We'd be happy to come with you if it helps," Erza said.

"Yeah, I'd gladly come with you Lucy," Gray said with a thumbs up. There was a cry from the background, as a wave swooped over, which formed into Juvia.

"Please don't leave me Gray!" she said, grabbing Gray's arm.

"Will you let go?!" Gray demanded.

"Then I guess Juvia's coming as well," Erza said.

"Damn right Juvia's coming!" Juvia yelled. Lucy giggled as she stood up.

"Well with all of you, I guess that's enough for me," she said, before looking to Happy, "Want to come?"

"Aye!" Happy said, jumping up. Lucy nodded. She then looked over at Natsu, and decided to take the plunge.

"Natsu!" Lucy called, "Come with us!" Everyone who could hear that looked up in surprise.

"Is that a good idea?" Alzack asked

"I'm not sure it is," Bisca answered.

Natsu was silent as he looked at Lucy. He considered it, before shaking his head.

"No," he said. Lucy was slightly disappointed. She was hoping to maybe give Natsu more opportunities to open up since the parade, but she figured she couldn't force him.

"Alright then," Lucy said, before heading to the quest board.

"That was probably a lost cause," Gray said, "Its more than a stretch that Natsu would come with us."

"Well, it was probably worth a shot," Erza said, "Got to start somewhere."

The group stood before the quest board, looking over it.

"How about this one?" Happy asked as he floated over and pointed to one paper. Lucy took it off.

"500,000 jewels?" Lucy said, as she read it, "Sounds good?"

"What do we have to do?" Juvia asked.

"It says that we have to translate it," Lucy said, before smiling, "I suppose I don't need to drag you along with me after all. I can do it right here and get a lot of money."

"Seems a little too good to be true," Gray said.

"Gray's right," Erza said, "I'd find another one."

"Come on, its just reading," Lucy said, as she put the paper down on a table, "What's the worst that could happen?" She looked at it carefully.

"Now let's see," she said, as she started reading it.

"Those are weird words," Juvia said as she stood next to Gray.

Nastu's ears caught Lucy's words, as he listened closely. Those words sounded familiar. Then it dawned him.

"No! Don't!" Natsu yelled as he jumped over, and ran at Lucy.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, but before anyone else could say anything, a glow encompassed the five mages and cat that were around the parchment. The light then faded.

"The hell was that?" Cana asked.

"I don't know, but it seemed manly," Elfman said.

"What doesn't seem manly to you?" Cana said.

Natsu fell to the ground face down.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his head. That was weird enough, since Natsu wouldn't say "ow" from just falling down, but it seemed like he was raising the pitch of his voice.

"How'd I get on the ground?" Natsu said, still in that high voice, as he got on his knees and looked around.

"My beloved!" Gray said, as he turned to the left, "That light is like the symbol of our…" He paused as he saw no one was next to him there.

"Where'd you go?" he asked.

"Lucy…," Lucy cried out, before pausing. She looked down, and briefly grabbed at her chest, before running her hands through her hair.

"Oh crap," she muttered.

"What's with you Lucy?" Macao asked, "Why are you deepeing your voice?"

"The hell's your problem?" Juvia asked, looking down at Natsu. Natsu looked up.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "I was just trying to do the job. I wasn't even near your beloved Gray."

"Beloved Gray… what are you talking about, I'm…" Juvia said, putting her hand on her chest. That was when she touched her breasts, and paused.

"What the hell? Where did these come from?"

"Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you always have those?" Warren said.

"What's everyone getting so worked up about?" Happy demanded, as he stood tall, with his paws on his hips.

"Hey Lucy, check this out!" Erza called out, before looking around, "Where are you?"

"I'm right here Erza," Natsu said as he got up.

An awkward silence suddenly fell upon the six group.

"No," Happy whispered.

"KYAHH!" Natsu cried, as he jumped into the air, and slammed into the beam, before falling back down, spirals for eyes.

"What's happening?" Juvia said, as she looked over her body.

"My beloved Gray and I are finally one!" Gray said, as he groped all over his body, "Its a miracle! My prayers are answered!"

"This is getting a little creepy," Wakaba said.

"No kidding," Macao said, "What's going on with them?"

"I feels so… puny," Happy whimpered, lying face down on the ground.

"Please tell me Lucy didn't finish the reading," Lucy said.

"But aren't you….," Max began.

"I'm Natsu!" Lucy yelled.

"Natsu?" everyone asked at once. Lucy…. er, Natsu fell to her… his knees.

"Please, not Lucy! Anyone but Lucy!" he cried.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the one who they assumed was Natsu cried out.

"So wait, your Lucy?" Erza asked, pointing.

"Of course I am!" apparently Lucy yelled.

"The hell's going on!" Juvia, or Gray as people assumed, cried out.

"Its obvious!" Happy, or Erza, said, "We've all just switched bodies!"

"Switched bodies?"

"Its the effect of the spell," Natsu moaned, not getting up from his position on the floor, "It switches the bodies of whoever is standing closest to each other."

"What?!" everyone cried out.

"Isn't it obvious," Natsu explained, "We all switched! Gray and Juvia, Erza and Happy, and me and Lucy."

"How did this happen?" Lucy, in Natsu's body, asked.

"Its the Changeling spell," Makarov said, as he appeared on the railing.

"Where'd you come from?" Lucy cried out.

"I remember seeing that request on the board," Makarov said, "Figured no one would take it. In hindsight, maybe I should've."

"YA THINK!"

"How could you do this to us Lucy?" Gray, in Juvia's body, demanded, grabbing Lucy's, really Natsu's, collar.

"I was just trying to do the job to get some money!" Lucy said.

"That's what I was trying to warn you about," Natsu explained, "I've heard of that spell before."

"Why Happy? Why did it have to be Happy?" Erza bemoaned, as she fell to her paws and knees in despair.

"I don't think its a problem," Mirajane said as she walked over, and hoisted up Erza by her, or more accurately Happy's tail, "Now you've got a body to mimic your strength level."

"Put me down before I claw your eyes out!" Erza cried out, but it didn't have much impact coming from Happy's mouth, and in Happy's voice.

"I don't think its so bad," Happy, in Erza's body, commented.

"This is not a problem in the least," Juvia, in Gray's body, said, as she continued groping the body she was now inhabiting.

"I am closer to my beloved than ever before, I am never going back!"

"You don't get to decide that!" Gray yelled out.

"Its surreal seeing Juvia yelling at Gray, even if they switched bodies," Macao commented.

"No kidding," Wakaba concurred.

"What do we do? There's got to be a way to reverse it!" Lucy sobbed.

"I think surreal is an understatement with Natsu sobbing," Cana commented in between chugs.

"They're all so cool! I want to switch bodies!" Romeo, who was sitting next to Cana, said excitedly.

"You're kidding right?"

"If memory serves me right, the reversal of the magic is just as old as the spell," Makarov said, "And I'm afraid that's not my field of expertise."

"But whatever you do, you'd better do it quick," Lisanna said, as she looked at the request, "It says if the process isn't reversed in 30 minutes, then its permanent."

"What?!" everyone yelled.

"Take your time," Mirajane said as she spun Erza by the tail, "I'm loving this!"

"I'm going to rip you apart!" Erza screamed.

"How much time has passed?" Gray asked.

"About 10 minutes," Macao answered, "I'd get moving!"

"We got to do something, any ideas!" Lucy said, "Natsu?" She looked over, only to see Natsu on his, more accurately her, hands and knees.

"Trapped forever as a weak girl," he moaned.

"Trapped forever as a weak cat," Erza bemoaned, collapsed besides Natsu.

"You're so mean!" Happy yelled.

"We've got to find somewhere to reverse this!" Erza said, as she jumped onto the table, "Any ideas?"

"I may be able to help!" Levy said, as she came up, "I can read up on this spell, see if I can find anything."

"Thanks Levy!" Lucy said.

"But we can't just stay around waiting," Erza said.

"Why not?" Juvia asked, still groping Gray. Erza ignored her, as she looked at Lucy.

"How about using Natsu's Dragon's Eye?" she asked.

"You mean my Cleanse ability?" Natsu said as he walked up, "Well I'm willing to try anything." He looked at Lucy.

"Activate Dragon's Eye," he instructed.

"Right!" Lucy said, as she held up Natsu's head and arms. Nothing happened.

"Uh, how do I activate it?" she asked.

"That's a good question, how do you activate it?" Erza asked, as she walked up.

"Why do you have a fish in your mouth?" Juvia asked. Erza yelped, as she spat it out.

"Because it tastes good!" Happy said, with a fish in Erza's mouth.

Natsu sighed before explaining, "Close your eyes, and imagine a bubble." Lucy did as instructed. Black and blue magic swelled up around her.

"Now begin slowly pushing through the bubble," Natsu continued. The magic then began gathering into the eye.

"And now burst through!" Lucy did that, and then the magic let out in a wave.

"Eye of the Black Dragon!" Lucy said. The magic swelled around her, as Lucy looked at Natsu's hands. This feeling…

"Is this what it feels to be powerful?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter," Natsu said, "Now will a claw into existence, and grab me." Lucy concentrated, and a claw formed, and reached for Natsu.

"Careful, don't do it too…" The claw suddenly shot out, smashing a table, which would have been Natsu if he hadn't dove out of the way.

"Watch out!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy said as she backed up, accidentally creating another claw, which shot out behind her, creating a hole the wall. She panicked, and claws began lashing all around her, smashing everything.

"She's going to destroy everything!" Macao said, as he and ever one were on the floor.

"She's so awesome!" Romeo said, "I wish I could do that!"

"Enough, this isn't going to work! Deactivate it!" Natsu yelled.

"How do I do it?!"

"Just focus on it going away!" Natsu answered. Lucy did as she was told, and it deactivated.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy sobbed.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Natsu muttered, as he stood back up, "What now?"

"I'd take anything at this point!" Gray said. People looked over, and noticed he was starting to melt into water.

"I'm not sure if I can hold solid form much longer. Juvia how do you do it?" Juvia wasn't pay attention.

"Why must we change back?" she moaned, "I am closer to my beloved than I could ever be."

"How much time do we have?" Erza asked.

"About ten minutes left," Cana said, "I'd get cracking on something."

"I think I got it!" Levy said as she stood up.

"You do!" everyone save Juvia cried out.

"I think so," Levy said, "Now let me see…" She then began muttering some magic words, as the same glow came back up.

"Am I back?" Natsu's voice asked.

"I don't know," Erza's said, "I feel different, but…" Then the speaker looked down.

"Now I'm Erza!" Natsu cried out.

**Note: I hoped you found this funny. Take note that Natsu switching with Lucy is not an indication of any pairing. I would have just as easily switched Natsu with Erza, but the idea of Erza switching with Happy as too funny to pass up. Same with Gray and Juvia switching.**

**Sorry for ending this abruptly, but this isn't part of the main story, just a little joke thing that can be skipped if necessary. I also thought it was funnier to end it on this note, not to mention this was getting too long. Besides, what I wanted to do was accomplished. Maybe if people REALLY, REALLY want it, I'll do a continuation of sorts.**

**Now some of you may be wondering why an omake is longer than a lot of my other chapters. Probably because I crammed the whole story arc into one chapter, instead of dividing it up for dramatic sake.**

**The next arc is coming up, and I figured out how to properly compromise Natsu's power with the story, in a way some might find amusing.**

**With that said, I'm going to go ahead and start working on "Eye of the Fire Dragon". People seem up to it, but I could take some advice on how to change it from canon.**

**One last thing. Something I've been long interested in, is some artwork for this story. Sadly, I can't draw for crap. If anyone is a decent artist, their free to take a crack at it.**


	50. The Red Drink

_**The Red Drink**_

**(this has to be me at my absolute least creative people)**

Gray took a breath, as he ran his hand through his hair. He had just finished a mission, and was now heading back to Fairy Tail. For once, Juvia wasn't clinging to him, mostly because Gray managed to get out before Juvia came. Of course, he dreaded coming back and Juvia pouncing onto him again, but at this point, he just wanted to get home.

"The sooner I'm back, the better," he muttered. It was then that he heard a cry. Gray let his eyes wander, and saw what looked like an elderly man on the ground, a cart behind him. His good samaritan side bleeding through, Gray went over to him.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," the man said, "I just missed my footing." He was wearing a cloak, with a hood that obscured much of his face.

"Where are you going?" Gray asked.

"To the nearest town," the old timer explained, "Got to get my produce down there before the market closes." He then headed back to his cart and hoisted it up, before doubling over with a grunt. Gray sighed at the sight. He did want to get back to Fairy Tail, but he couldn't in all good conscious just leave that man.

"Let me help you," he said.

"No, I don't want to be an inconvenience."

"Don't worry about," Gray said as he hoisted the cart on his shoulders, and began marching down the road, the old man in tow.

They soon came into town, and into the market, where Gray set the cart down.

"Well, that should do the trick," he said.

"I can't thank you enough, my boy," the man said, "But I'm afraid I've no money."

"That's okay," Gray said, "It wasn't a problem." With that, he began to walk away.

"But I would be remiss if I didn't properly show my gratitude." With that, the man reached into his coat, and pulled out a water skin.

"Take this drink as a sign of my thanks," he said. Gray took it after a brief hesitation.

"Uh… thanks," he said.

"Now take care of yourself!" the man said, as Gray started to walk away.

"You too old timer!" Gray answered. _Maybe Cana would like this?_

**(at Fairy Tail)**

"Hell no," Cana answered when Gray offered the drink to her, "There are few things I don't drink, but things given to be by random strangers on the road is on that last. It may be bad or poisonous." Gray groaned.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" he said.

"You could always just throw it away," Lucy said.

"Which would be completely discourteous to the man who showed his gratitude," Erza responded, "You have to get some use out of it." Gray poured the liquid into a glass. The liquid was a deep red, that resembled wine, only clearer.

"Juvia has never seen a drink like that," Juvia commented as she looked it over, "What is it?"

"How should I know?" Gray answered as he picked up the glass and studied it, "I haven't seen it before either."

"Neither have I," Cana commented, "I know my booze pretty well, and this like none I've ever seen."

"It may not even be a drink," Natsu commented, as he strolled up.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Happy asked.

"Passing the time," Natsu answered, as he looked at it carefully, "This may actually be some kind of potion." He then looked to Lisanna.

"Do you have any raspberry juice?" he asked.

"Uh, yes," Lisanna answered, somewhat surprised by the question.

"Then you know what to do," Natsu said. He noticed everyone looking at Natsu.

"What? Alcohol dulls the senses," he said.

"But, raspberry juice of all things?" Lucy asked.

"You know if you don't like it, complain about it, I won't be changing my mind," Natsu answered.

"Okay! Okay!" Lucy answered, waving her hands. Lisanna brought Natsu his drink, who quickly took a sip out of it.

"I've seen formulas like that before," Natsu explained, "Most likely its some kind of magic enhancing potion, something the old man may have not got any use of."

"It could make you really strong," Happy said as he floated over the glass, looking into it.

"You could get some use out of it," Erza noted.

"Maybe I can," Gray said, as he picked it up, before setting it back down, right next to Natsu's glass, "But not now. Maybe I'll have the Master look at it or something."

"Don't wait too long," Natsu said, as he grabbed a glass and took another drink, "Potions like these rarely have that long a lifespan."

"Yeah, but…," Gray paused, before yelling, "Hey, you just drunk it?"

"I did?" Natsu said as he stopped, and looked. He noticed his half empty raspberry juice glass still on the counter, and Gray's glass in his hand.

"So I did," Natsu answered, as he set the glass down, "My apologies."

"The hell?" Gray demanded, "You can't just say sorry and it can be done!"

"Well, I imagine you don't want it now," Natsu said, "And seeing we can't change the past…" Gray just scowled.

"Yeah, but still," Gray answered, "I don't like someone else drinking my drink."

"Juvia will make you a drink!" Juvia said as she grabbed the glass, which she held under her arm pit. Water then began dripping out.

"I'm not thirsty anymore," Gray said with a cringe.

"Neither am I," Erza and Lucy said in unison. Natsu flared up some magic.

"I don't feel anything different," he said.

"What did it taste like?" Happy asked.

"The same as my own drink," Natsu answered, "I think that guy may have just given you raspberry juice." Suddenly, Natsu doubled over, grabbing his stomach.

"You okay?" Erza asked.

"I'm going home," Natsu said in response. With that, he left.

"I wonder what's wrong with him?" Lucy asked.

"Who knows?" Gray answered, as he looked at the skin, seeing if there was anything left, "That's weird, its like it completely evaporated."

"That didn't smell like juice," Cana said, "It smelled like regular alcohol."

"Not to me," Gray said, "It actually smelled like orange juice." Everyone looked at him.

"I like orange juice," Gray confessed.

Happy wasn't paying attention, he was just staring after Natsu.

**(the next day)(at the guild)**

Lucy stretched as she marched in.

"Good morning!" she said.

"Good morning!" Erza said, "How are you?"

"Stiff," Lucy answered as she rubbed her neck, "I think I slept funny." She looked around.

"Where's Natsu?" she asked.

"Not here, why?"

"Just curious," Lucy answered.

"Its not like Natsu was ever here that much," Gray said as he walked over, "I think the bigger question is where is Happy?"

"Lisanna, have you seen Happy?" Erza called.

"I haven't," Lisanna said, shaking her head, "Last I saw him, he was going out."

"Where does Happy stay?" Lucy asked.

"With us at Fairy Hills," Erza answered, "But I'll confess I wasn't paying attention. Probably should have been." She then stood up.

"I'm going looking of him," she announced, as she began to walk out, before she heard the sound of Happy's voice.

"Help!" he called out. Everyone turned, and saw Happy hovering the air, carrying a large staff.

"Natsu's turned into stick!"

**Note: So Natsu's turned into a stick? This can only lead to good things. What do you think?**

**I don't know how long this arc will be. I'd gladly take some ideas for it though. One thing I'm going to establish, is that I'm promoting Juvia to main character, since I love her.**


	51. Furari Potentia

_**Furari Potentia**_

"Let me go ahead and say that this isn't a stick, its some kind of magic staff," Erza said.

The whole of Fairy Tail was assembled around a table, looking at a long staff that according to Happy, was Natsu. The staff went up about Lucy's nose, and was a deep black in coloration. On the top of the staff, was the head and neck of a dragon, which was arched up like a snake read to strike, with wings framing it. The eyes were blue gems, and where the dragon's neck met the main part of the staff, was a black gem, with a blue center.

"How do you know this staff is Natsu?" Makarov inquired.

"I saw Natsu turn into it," Happy explained.

"Then how'd you see that?" Lucy asked.

"I followed Natsu home," Happy answered. Everyone stared at Happy.

"You followed Natsu home? That's manly!" Elfman said, thumping his chest.

"Actually that is pretty brave," Warren commented, "Why'd you do it?"

"I was wondering what was wrong with him," Happy said, "So I followed him home. While I was watching through the window, I saw Natsu turn into a tiny dragon, then he turned into the stick."

XingLong came over, and waved his hand over the staff.

"I can definitely feel some kind of magic waves from it," he said, "And they do bare a resemblance to that of Natsu."

"Well, Happy wouldn't lie about this, would you?" Lisanna said.

"Aye, I wouldn't!"

"So, I guess this has to be Natsu," she continued, as she reached to pick up the staff, then the eyes flashed bright blue. Everyone automatically recoiled.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"I think that was… Natsu," Cana said, as she bent over to it, "Natsu, if you can hear us, blink once!" The eyes flashed a single time.

"So you're still in there?" Makarov mused as he jumped onto the table, and picked Natsu up, "Can you blink once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'?" The eyes flashed another time.

"Good, now we can communicate with him," Erza said, "Now Natsu, do you have any idea of what happened?" The eyes flashed twice for "no".

"Do you eat or drink anything weird?" Levy asked. The eyes flashed "yes".

"Anything other than that drink you stole from me?" Gray asked.

"No," Natsu flashed.

"Jet!" Makarov called.

"Yes, Master!" Jet answered.

"Run to Porlyusica," Makarov instructed, "Tell her to come immediately. Maybe she can give us some insight into what's happened to Natsu." Jet did as instructed, and bolted out the door.

"In the mean time," Makarov said, as he studied Natsu closely, "Has anyone seen anything like this?" "No"s reverberated across the group.

"I don't see the real problem here," Gray said, taking the staff, "I kind of like Natsu like this, he's less annoying now." The eyes glowed angrily.

"Don't be cruel," Lucy said, taking the staff herself. As she did, a blast of magic came out of the eyes, creating a large blast. Lucy let out a yelp of surprise, as did everyone else.

"It seems as though Natsu can still release his magic," Erza noted. Lucy, on reflex, threw Natsu to the ground, sending him clattering on the ground.

"Oh sorry!" Lucy said. Lucy could have sworn she saw a tick mark appear on the staff.

"Now I'm afraid to pick him up," Max said, "I'm worried if I do he'll shoot magic all over the place." There was a silence as everyone stared at the staff, wondering what to do. Eventually, Erza was the one who picked him back up.

"For now, we hold him very delicately, until Porlyusica gets here," she said, "In the mean time, everyone keep a safe distance away."

**(slightly later)**

When Porlyusica finally arrived, she looked over Natsu carefully.

"So, have you seen anything like this before?" Makarov asked.

"Can't say I have, but I think I may have heard about it," Porlyusica answered, "Now, did Natsu drink anything before he transformed?"

"Aye," Happy said, "He drank this weird red drink!" Porlyusica cringed.

"This may be something called 'Furari Potentia'," she said.

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

"Its a potion," Porlyusica explained, "The ingredients are very difficult to find, and nearly impossible to properly brew. But if done right, this potion allows a person to use the magic of another, by turning their foe into a magical item. This time a staff apparently."

"That's weird," Gray said, "Now how do we undo it?"

"I'll be honest, I don't know," Porlyuisca answered, "The potion is so rare, I never really bothered to study it that much."

"Really?" Lucy cried out.

"So there's no antidote?" Makarov inquired.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Unfortunately," the apothecary answered, "The best I can figure is to find the brewer. Maybe they can undo the spell."

"Well, its better than nothing," Erza said, "We do have to start somewhere, now Gray, do you remember who gave it to you?"

"Some old guy in a town a few miles from here," Gray answered, "Never got his name."

"Do you know any of the ingredients?" Makarov asked Porlyusica.

"Only two: root from a Leech Tree, and leaves from a Shadow Ivy. I only know the definite location of one of them, that being Leech Trees. I know a small grove can be found on Mazina Island."

"Then that's where we should go," Erza said, "How do we get there?"

"I'd advise against doing that," Porlyusica said with a frown, "That island has an unfavorable reputation, which is why I've never been there myself. Everything I've heard, I've got from heresy."

"Well, unless we got a better option, its all we can do," Lucy said.

"So its settled then, we're going to Mazina Island!" Erza declared, as she picked up Natsu, "Don't worry, we'll fix this!" The eyes just glowed in response.

**Note: Sorry this was so short, but I didn't want to put too much into one chapter.**

**Take note, that "Furari Potentia" essentially means "steal power" in Latin. At least according to Google Translate. I hope to update soon. I'm on a roll, and I don't think I should break said roll.**


	52. Mazina Island

_**Mazina Island**_

Lucy generally enjoyed cruises. She liked the sun, and the ocean air going through her hair. Right now, they were on a boat, heading towards where Porlyuisca said Mazina Island was. Of course, the current situation was somewhat less enjoyable. Especially considering Natsu, as a magic staff, was standing right beside her, the piercing blue eyes staring at her.

"This is really creepy," she said, aimed at Natsu, before turning him around, so that he was facing the other way, "That's better." She then went back to sun bathing. The eyes glowed fiercely.

"Oh quit complaining!" Lucy said, frowning, "We're doing this all for you!" Something about Natsu being an inanimate object, incapable of moving on his own, made him much less frightening. The eye glow dimmed, as the staff was completely still. That made Lucy wonder if she had gone too far, but her thoughts were abruptly silenced by Happy's voice.

"Natsu's not so scary now that he's a stick," he said, as he poked at Natsu with his tail. The staff's eyes glowed with frustration.

"He's not a stick, he's a staff," Erza said, "Big difference."

"Not as much as you might think," Gray said, "But it doesn't matter. What's the plan?"

"Juvia wants to know too," Juvia chimed in. As always, she insisted on coming with Gray.

"Simple," Erza said, "When we get to Mazina Island, we look for the Leech Trees. Once we find it, we then gather its root, and bring it back to Porlyusica. Maybe then she can start working on a remedy." Lucy reached into her bag, next to her chair, and pulled out a piece of paper.

"If this drawing is anything to go on, then it might not be easy," she said, with a cringe. On the paper was a picture of a Leech Tree, drawn up by Reeds passed on a description from Porlyusica. The tree was not a particularly pleasing looking one. The tree was tall and thin, with vines hanging down that looked more like tentacles. And at the end of the vines, were what looked like mouths.

"It doesn't matter," Erza said, "We have to fix Natsu." The staff's eyes glowed again, though this time, it seemed almost kind of warm, instead of dark.

"And what if the root isn't enough?" Gray asked.

"Then I guess we look for the Shadow Ivy," Lucy said, before letting out a groan, "Why can't it be something nice? Like Sun Tulip, or Bright Leaf?" Erza walked over, and picked up Natsu, spinning him around a couple times. Natsu clearly didn't like it, but it was not like he could do anything.

"You could make a decent pole arm," Erza mused, "Maybe if we have to fight I could get some use out of you. And maybe…." She then thrust the dragon's head towards the sea, channeling her magic energy to Natsu, expecting a blast of magic to come out the eyes. Nothing happened.

"Well that was a dud," Happy said.

"Come on Natsu!" Erza said, looking into the dragon's eyes, "If you want to be of use, you have to let me do this!" The eyes flashed "no". Erza let out a frustrated sigh, as she thrust Natsu back into the deck.

"He's just trying to preserve his pride," Lucy commented, "I imagine this isn't the most dignifying thing to happen to him."

"Still, it wouldn't kill him to be more cooperative," Erza said.

They spent the remainder of the day sailing, doing whatever to pass the time. Gray tried his hand at sunbathing as well, which ended up him stripping down to the skin, much to Erza and Lucy's chagrin, but to Juvia's great joy. Erza polished her weapons and armor, and even gave Natsu a few more practice swings. If Natsu was complaining, Erza didn't notice. Lucy spent her time watching the ocean, and even took it upon herself to polish Natsu. Though when she first made the offer, Natsu flashed "no", of course that didn't stop her. Happy spent his time eating fish.

"I don't know what this is made of," she said, "But I imagine you'd prefer it clean." The eyes stayed dim. Lucy was silent for a little while, as she looked at Natsu, before taking a breath.

"Look, Natsu," she said, "I don't know if this is the right time to tell you this, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we really appreciate how you beat Laxus. And the way you came and joined the parade was really cool too." The eyes just flashed.

"I guess the one problem with this way of communication, is you can only answer 'yes' and 'no' questions," Lucy said with a chuckle.

"That is normally all he's ever said anyway," Happy chimed in from over at his seat on the table.

"Land ho!" Erza called out. Lucy looked up, and positioned Natsu so he could see as well. Sure enough, in the distance was an island.

"So that's Mazina Island?" Gray said, "Doesn't look like much from here."

"Then what say we confirm that?" Erza said, "Let's get over there!"

Soon enough, they were on the shores of the island, looking over it. The island looked tropical, and lush, that Lucy would have otherwise considered nice, if not for the massive rock up near the highest point of the island, that looked like the head of some kind monster. And the strange sensation that it gave.

"What is this feeling?" Juvia asked.

"It feels like anger, and hatred," Gray said darkly, narrowing his eyes. While he doubted anyone liked this feeling, something about seemed particularly impactful for him.

"Ten seconds and already this place has earned its reputation," Lucy said, shivering slightly.

"Don't lose heart," Erza said, as she rested Natsu on her shoulder.

"Now what do we do?" Gray asked.

"We split up, and look for the Leech Trees," Erza answered, "Three groups will go three different directions. Lucy and Happy will go East, Juvia and Gray will go West, and Natsu and I will go North."

"Sounds like a plan," Lucy said, with a nod.

"We meet back up where the ship is at sundown," Erza continued, "If anyone finds the Leech Trees, send some kind of magic blast into the air. Then everyone will head in that direction."

With that, the group of five (six if you counted the Dragon Slayer turned staff), split apart. Perhaps they should have waited slightly though, as they may have noticed something dropping from the stern of the ship into the water. From the water, emerged the Masked Man that was watching the Fantasia Parade.

**(with Lucy and Happy)**

"See anything?" Lucy asked, as she looked around. They had been wandering for what Lucy presumed was a little more than hour now, and hadn't had much luck.

"Aye!" Happy called back. Lucy whirled around, only to see Happy staring at a strange leaf that Lucy figured held a slight resemblance to a fish.

"Will you please focus?" she said with a sweat drop. With that, the two moved on.

The dark feeling they got when they first landed on the island hadn't dissipated. If anything, as they got into the forest, it seemed to get stronger. It reminded Lucy slightly of the Cursed One, with the hateful aura, but this one felt less bitter, as was the case with the Cursed One, and more angry. That feeling didn't mesh with the forest though, with bright trees and leaves. But it didn't help Lucy or Happy feel any better, since it seemed much more out of place.

**(with Erza and Natsu)**

Erza used Natsu as a walking stick as she scaled some rocks. She wiped her brow, as she looked back out on the forest.

"Can you see very well in there?" she asked Natsu.

"Yes," Natsu flashed. With that, Erza held him up, giving Natsu a good vantage point.

"Do you see anything?"

"No."

"Well I suppose you wouldn't be able to see one tree out of thousands in the island," Erza commented as she held him back down. She then looked over the island. It wasn't particularly big, small enough that it could probably be fully traversed in a day or so. Of course their objective was to find a single tree, which made the task more daunting.

"No sense in just waiting here," Erza said, "Let's go!" She then continued hiking.

**(with Gray and Juvia)**

Gray was satisfied to know that if she really needed to, Juvia could show restraint. Apparently she knew the importance of what they were doing, so she didn't latch onto Gray as she normally did. But that wasn't what was on Gray's mind. It was this island.

This island's aura was filled with cruelty and loathing, which was certainly one thing that wasn't all together pleasant, but for Gray, it felt… familiar. Something from his distant past, that he could not remember much of, but still ever present in his history.

"Are you okay?" Juvia asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gray said dismissively, as he kept walking. Juvia paused briefly, having a feeling that he was not "fine", but she knew better than to pursue what was no doubt something very personal. She took a breath, as she followed him.

**(later, at the beach)**

Sure enough, the sun dipped beneath the horizon, and the group reassembled at the beach.

"No luck?" Erza asked.

"Not a shred of it," Gray said, "We could be on a wild goose chase for all we know. Porlyuisca admitted she'd never been to the island."

"Come on!" Lucy said, "We've only just go there. No way we're going now!"

"Lucy's right," Erza agreed, "First light tomorrow, we strike out again. But for now, we get some rest. Let's get a fire started."

The group settled down, gathering some firewood. Erza used her Flame Empress sword to light it, and soon, it was blazing.

Lucy hoped the fire would give her some comfort, but it didn't. Instead, at night, the island seemed even more disturbing. She looked towards the monster rock, as a cloud of fireflies shout out of it, making it look like a monster letting out some kind of breath attack. The aura had also grown stronger now, enough for Lucy to feel it bearing down on her. And she could have sworn that somewhere inside that mouth, there was a faint glow.

"We'll take shifts," Erza said, "I'll take the first one. Everyone else, get some sleep." Everyone obediently fell asleep. Juvia, eagle-eyed as ever when it came to Gray, waited until he was fast asleep, and then cuddled up to him. Lucy fell asleep with Happy on her stomach.

Erza took a breath as she sat back against a rock, and stared at the sky. Natsu was implanted in the ground beside her.

"Natsu, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," she said, looking at the staff, "And maybe because I can't hear your response its easier." The staff remained still.

"When you showed up at the Fantasia parade, I was honestly expecting you to ruin it all," Erza explained, "But when you joined in, something about it… made me happy." She then smiled at Natsu.

"Don't worry, we'll change you back," she declared.

**(up on the rocks)**

"Will they be a problem, my Lord?" a short ma wearing a dark green coat asked. He had brown hair that hung loosely around his face, and a pointed nose, with beady brown eyes. Beside him, was a tall, cloaked man, carrying a large staff. The staff was gold, save for a white head, which of some kind of big cat, perhaps a leopard or something that ilk.

"Quite the contrary, my friend, they are a godsend," the man answered.

**Note: So who are these guys watching them? And the Masked Man from the Fantasia Parade is here now as well?**

**I tried to insert both a NaLu and NaZa scene, in hopes of satisfying of the shippers. Don't take note that this means I've settled on either pairing just yet.**

**Something I've noticed, is that in terms of the amount of Follows, I'm now in the top 10 out of the over 30,000 fanfics on the Fairy Tail site. That's an honor.**


	53. Deliora

_**Deliora**_

The day came not soon enough for Lucy, seeing as she got next to no sleep last night, considering all the nightmares she'd been having. Something about evil rocks spitting evil fireflies… **(if you get that, props)**

As such, when she got up, she barely felt rested, but nonetheless, she got up, and stretched. She noticed the others were already awake as well.

"You're awake," Erza said, "Good, I was about use Natsu to prod you awake."

"Then I'm glad I woke up when I did," Lucy answered.

"You're lazy!" Happy said. Lucy ignored him.

"So, same plan as yesterday?"

"Yes, but eat first," Erza said, holding out a bag with some rations, "Need to keep our strength." Lucy did as she was told, and began eating.

"You know, I don't know if what we're doing is a good idea," she said, "Maybe we'd have better luck if we went in a specific route, instead of randomly."

"What do you have in mind?" Gray asked.

"Well, what if instead we stuck together, and instead tried circling the island?" Lucy suggested, "We'd go in a spiral, to the center of the island. That way, we'd be able to cover it all in a short time."

"That's a good idea," Erza said, thinking, "Though we'd have to spend the nights in the forest." Hearing that made Lucy yelp. She'd completely forgotten that small detail.

"On second thought, we're doing fine as it is!" she said quickly, trying to dissuade Erza, but it was too late.

"Alright, we set out immediately!" the red-head declared, as she picked up Natsu. With that, they struck out.

At this point, Lucy was hoping that the second time around in the forest would be more pleasant. She was wrong. The forest still had that same hateful feeling as yesterday, though it seemed even worse, as if the island was no actively aware of their presence, and was angry they were still there. Lucy tried to keep her mind off it, and continued looking around. Currently, she was carrying Natsu, as Erza used her sword to get away some foliage that was in the group's way.

"Geez this jungle is hot," Gray said, his shirt already off. This time, Lucy could understand his thinking. True, she hadn't been to many jungles, but what she did know, was that jungles were generally very hot.

"Yes, Juvia feels as though she's about to evaporate!" Juvia said, her eyes shaped like hearts.

"I don't know if that's the heat's fault," Lucy said, "But it is really hot. Can't we take a break?"

"Why? We've only been walking a little more than a hour," Erza said. Of course. Erza was the machine that could walk through a tornado, and probably emerge without a single hair out of place.

"We're not all demigods that can will themselves to not get tired," Lucy said, "Especially me."

"Aye!" Happy said, jumping onto Lucy's head, "Let's take a break!"

Erza was going to protest, but she figured that for Lucy's sake, it probably wouldn't hurt. Besides, the island would still be there in half an hour.

"Fine," she relented, "I think I can hear a stream a little further up. Let's rest there."

They arrived at the river, and Lucy splashed some of the water in her face, hoping it would cool her off. It helped, but the water wasn't particularly cool; it wasn't hot, but it was warm, strange for water in a stream.

"Juvia, think you can give us a little mist, or something?" Lucy asked.

"Juvia is not some tool you can use to make yourself feel better!" Juvia said, turning her nose up on Lucy with a "humph". Lucy just sweat dropped.

"You sure? It would really help," Gray said. It was strange. Normally, Gray had a pretty high temperature tolerance, but something about this environment inhibited that. It was as if the temperature had chosen to increase.

"Of course!" Juvia said quickly, before holding out her arms, and spraying out a cool mist around the group.

"Ah, that feels better!" Lucy said, with a relaxed breath.

"Would you like some?" Juvia asked Erza, who was looking up stream.

"I'm fine," Erza answered, not turning around Lucy followed Erza's gaze, and saw that the water was coming from some kind door, like a temple or something of the like.

"Looking at something?" Lucy asked.

"Just thinking that for all we know the Leech Trees may be in there," Erza said, "I mean, judging by the description, it may dwell in darkness opposed to daylight. So it may be within there." Lucy looked over the temple opening. It almost resembled an open claw, with water spilling out of the palm.

"That place looks creepy," Lucy said, shivering, "Can't we do it some other time."

"We'd have to do it sometime," Erza explained, "Might as well do it now." With that, she began moving towards the opening. Juvia and Gray followed her, leaving Lucy with Natsu and Happy.

"Are you scared?" Happy asked.

"Indeed I am," Lucy said, as she stood up, to follow the group. She looked at Natsu. She then smiled. Something about carrying Natsu made her feel safer.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Natsu flashed. With that, she followed them into the temple. Suddenly, the aura from the island evaporated. But it was not like it was disappearing, more like they were entering the eye of a storm. Lucy could still feel residual traces of hatred from outside. Somehow, it made the place even more ominous.

Lucy had been expecting some kind of carvings, or something that would normally be seen in a temple. Instead, the wall were smooth, plain, and square in shape. The water ran through the middle of the hall, as the group walked on the banks.

"I can barely see ahead!" Gray said, as he looked on, "We need a light!" Erza turned to Lucy, or more specifically, Natsu.

"Natsu, if you would be so kind?" For a time, Natsu was silent.

"Come on!" Lucy said, "What do you have to lose?" Natsu milled over that, before his eyes started glowing.

"And then there was light!" Lucy said with a grin, pointing Natsu's head forward, and leading the way. As they moved forward, the tunnel's grew wider, but showed no sign of ending.

"How much further is this?" Happy asked, as he floated next to Lucy.

"Who knows?" Erza responded, "But it has to end at some point."

"Yeah, but if it keeps….," Gray said, before abruptly stopping, causing Juvia to bump into him.

"My love?" she asked. Gray was standing perfectly still, a distant look in his eyes.

"What's with you?" Lucy asked, as she and Erza turned to look. Gray remained silent, as he began marching forward. He could remember…

_(Flashback)_

_There was fire and smoke. Nothing more, save for crying. The crying of a young boy. He sat amongst the blazing rubble, sobbing, as a massive shadow loomed over him. Two glowing eyes pierced through his very soul…_

_The boy just cried as he looked up at the monster._

_(Flashback End)_

Gray just walked down the halls, as the others followed him.

"What's with him? Its like he's in a trance!" Lucy said.

"I don't know," Erza said, "I've never seen him do that before!"

"Aye!" Happy said, "This is really weird!"

"Gray my darling!" Juvia cried out, "I'm over here! You should be walking in a trance towards me!"

Gray eventually lead them into a massive cave, that one could probably fit the whole guild hall if not more inside. But they wouldn't be able to, considering what was in the center.

Looming in the center was a massive ice block, and in the center of that, was some kind of titanic monster. It was hulking, built like the block of ice it was inside. It had a massive mane, that ran down its back, with huge claws and arms, and a long tail.

"What is that thing?" Lucy said.

"Its some kind of demon," Erza said.

"Deliora." Everyone looked at Gray, as he just stared up at the figure.

"A demon created by Zeref himself," he said, "Said to be the embodiment of destruction itself."

"What's with you?" Happy asked.

"Ten years ago, this monster attacked my homeland," Gray explained slowly, ignoring Happy, "My master, Ul sacrificed herself to defeat this monster."

Everyone stared at Gray, no one had ever that before.

"Gray," Juvia said softly. Erza put her hand on Gray's shoulder.

"Get yourself together," she said, "We need to keep our heads on this. If you want, we can talk about this later, but for now we have to keep our focus on the mission."

Gray shook his head, trying to get his thoughts back together.

"Right!" he said, "Sorry for distracting you all."

"So I guess this is the source of all that hatred," Lucy said, looking up at the demon, "Well, I think everyone can agree with me that we should let the sleeping demon lie."

"Of that I can certainly agree," Erza said, "Let's…"

"This is unbearably boring," a new voice from the hall said, "I was told this was going to be exciting." Everyone whirled around.

"Hide!" Erza instructed, as every dove into the shadows. From the hallway, three people emerged, two men, and one woman. The group remained in hiding.

"Just be patient," the first man said. He was the oldest looking one, wearing the green cloak, and the brown hair.

"Easy for you to say," the other man responded, "You're not the one who's just sitting around doing nothing." This other one was of average height, and looked younger, with purple hair, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a black trench coat, with the symbol of an "x" going through a triangle.

"No kidding," the women said. She had long, light green hair, that was tied in a bun, with gold eyes. She wore leather pants, along with a leather jacket, and had a tattoo of the same symbol on the back of the man's jacket on her neck.

"Our 'illustrious lord'," she continued, "told us that this would be his 'revenge', and that he would 'lay down ten years of anger'."

"Don't let him hear you say that," the older man said, "He would turn you to either ash or an ice sculpture in an instant." The other two remained silent. The first man looked up at the demon.

"We're making decent enough progress as it is," he said, "We'll continue again tonight. This may end up being the last one we need to do."

"You really think so? Its only been two nights since we've started," the woman asked. That made Gray's ears perk up. Now that he looked again, the ice block looked smaller than he remembered, and it looked like the ice had been breaking apart. The thought made his heart race.

"Don't underestimate the power of the ritual, Netja," the first guy said to the woman, apparently named "Netja".

"And you shouldn't overestimate it, Agora," the second guy said, "We're all just going on you're cults word."

"I'm inclined to believe Trak," Netja said.

"You don't need to believe in me, believe in the Lord," Agora said, "Come, we must make preparations." With that, he turned and walked away. The others followed.

"Why'd we even come down here in the first place?" Trak asked Netja.

"Good question."

Once they were gone, the group emerged.

"Who were they?" Happy asked.

"That symbol didn't look like any dark guild symbol I know of," Erza said.

"It doesn't matter!" Everyone looked at Gray again.

"They're trying to release Deliora!" he said.

"What?!" Lucy cried out, "Is that possible?"

"I don't know," Gray said, "But they're obviously trying!" His fists then balled up.

"I won't let them dirty Ul's name like this!" he declared, "I'm going to freeze them solid!"

**Note: So now there's this strange cult doing something with Deliora. What are they up to now? And who is this "Lord" they speak of?**

**Something I'm going to quickly explain, is that I got the idea for turning Natsu into a staff from**_** Once Upon a Time In Wonderland**_**, where the villain steals his teacher's power by turning her into a snake, and then into a staff.**


	54. Ut Resurgat

_**Ut Resurgat**_

"Hold on Gray!" Erza said, grabbing his shoulder, "You can't go running out there, freezing everything your path. We have to figure out what's going on."

"You honestly aren't telling me to let them dishonor the name of Ul?" Gray demanded, shaking off the hand.

"Nothing of the sort," Erza answered, "But I am telling you to keep your wits about you. Clearly, whatever is going on is something much bigger. We should find a means to contact the guild. If they are trying to resurrect one of the great demons of Zeref, then it will take more than just four of us." The eyes of Natsu flashed.

"Alright, five," Lucy said.

"Six!" Happy piped up.

"I'm not sure you count."

"Your mean!"

"Doesn't matter," Erza said, "For now, you should all head back to the beach. There, we'll form a plan of what to do."

"What about Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"I think Natsu would agree this takes precedence," Erza said. No one noticed, or payed attention to, Natsu's eyes flashing "no". With that, they began heading back out to the beach.

"You said that your Master killed the demon. Is that true?" Lucy asked.

"I didn't say Ul killed it," Gray said, "I said she sealed it."

"How?" Happy asked. Gray was silent for a time. Those were memories he preferred to keep shelved, but he didn't think that was appropriate given the current situation

"She used Ice Shell."

"I think I've heard of that," Erza said, "Its a kind of Ice spell that requires the sacrifice of one's life."

"That's correct," Gray said, "The ice that makes up the Shell will never melt, and is immune to all forms of magic. Put frankly, once something is imprisoned, its not getting out."

"But you said that these people are trying to release Deliora!" Lucy said, "If it can't get out…"

"It looks like they just may have found a way," Gray said, "I don't know what it is, but I could see that the ice seem to be edging away."

"Then shouldn't we stop them?" Juvia asked.

"There are probably more of them lurking around," Erza said, "We have to keep ourselves restrained, and learn more about the situation. The last thing we want to do is assault a band of dark mages."

As they continued walking on, the began to notice something.

"Is it me, or did it suddenly become very cold?" Lucy said, as she began shivering.

"No its not," Erza said, as she re-quiped into some kind of coat, "It has gotten colder."

"But it was blazing hot earlier," Lucy said, "Temperatures don't just invert themselves like this."

"It stands to reason that Deliora's presence is corrupting the climate," Erza said. Gray doubted that, seeing as that wasn't in the list of Deliora's powers. He would know. However, he kept that to himself. He imagined that when all was said and done, it probably didn't matter.

By the time they arrived, the sun was beginning to slip away.

"The time here is weird as well," Juvia said, "Weren't we only moving for a couple hours, at most?"

"Perhaps the island is affecting our sense of time," Erza commented.

"The island is doing a lot too us isn't it?" Happy said.

"I think that's understating it," Lucy commented, before looking at Natsu, "I wonder… Natsu, can you tell us how many hours we've been walking?" There was a brief pause as Natsu remembered. Then he flashed seven times.

"Seven hours!" everyone, save Gray cried out.

"How can that be?" Erza said, "That shouldn't be possible!" Natsu flashed "yes". Erza pinched herself between the eyes.

"This island is seriously messing us up," she said, "First thing tomorrow, we're leaving. But for now, we get some rest."

After they got a fire started, the dark aura was maintained, and the group was silent, and disheartened. Lucy didn't like the sight of any members being down like that, so she decided to do something about that.

"Open, Gate of the Lyre, Lyra!" she said. A small girl in a long dress, carrying a harp appeared.

"What's this?" Erza asked.

"Something to brighten the night," Lucy said.

"You summoned me, that's weird," Lyra said shyly.

"Its not for battle, its for some atmosphere," Lucy explained, "Can you play us a song?"

"Are you sure?" the spirit asked, "I've never played for so many people at once."

"Don't worry, you're great!" Lucy said with a thumbs up. With that, Lyra slowly began playing, before began to play with some more confidence.

Erza was skeptical about the harp, but when the spirit actually started playing, suddenly it seemed a lot more appealing. It had been a while since she heard something so beautiful, and something about it drowned out the dark aura that surrounded them.

Natsu was not the world's biggest music fan, since he felt it was all together pointless. Maybe it was the fact that he was trapped in a staff, but something about this seemed enjoyable. It was strange like that.

Juvia also was enjoying it. While her general preference was slower music, since it mimicked rain, lately, she was becoming more interested in music like this. She hoped Gray was also enjoying it.

Gray was ignoring it. His mind was in another place.

_(Flashback)_

"_What's your name?"_

_A young Gray looked up, his face stilled stained with tears. A tall woman, with dark hair, and pale skin was standing over her. Gray was still frightened, but the woman's smile was somehow softer, and made him feel more ease._

"_G… Gray," he stuttered. The woman knelt down._

"_Where are your parents?" she asked._

"_I don't have any, anymore," Gray said, as tears begin welling up in his eyes again, "I'm alone."_

"_Is that so?" the woman asked. She then stood back up._

"_Tell me boy, can you take on my training regiment?" she asked._

"_What?"_

"_I asked can you stand my regiment?" the woman repeated, "I'm willing to take you with me. I can teach you how to use magic, so as to defend yourself, but only if you can take it." Gray was silent, as he looked up at the woman, before he abruptly stood up._

"_Yes, I'll do whatever it takes!" he declared. The woman smiled._

"_Come along," she said, gesturing._

"_Wait, what's your name?"_

"_Ul."_

_(End Flashback)_

Gray clenched his fists, as he looked back to where they came.

"Wait Happy! That's Natsu! Don't put him on the fire!"

**(later, that night)**

Most of the group had now falling asleep, save for Gray, as he stared up at the mountain. He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, and started walking.

He walked into the forest, which was once again hot, but not as it was earlier today. Gray's destination was the top of the mountain in the center. He figured that maybe there he could find some answers.

Gray remembered Erza saying they couldn't let themselves jump into battle, but Gray didn't care. These people were going to make Ul's sacrifice mean nothing, and he couldn't let them continue on.

"Where are you going?" a voice suddenly spoke up. Gray whirled around, and saw Happy floating behind him.

"Happy!" Gray yelled, "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to the bathroom when I saw you walking, so I wanted to know where you're going," Happy explained.

"Go back to the camp!" Gray said.

"No!" Happy said, still smiling. The two stood off for a second, before Gray broke.

"You'd probably just follow me unless I froze you," he said, and he wouldn't do that.

"Aye!"

"Just keep close," Gray said, as he continued climbing, Happy trailing behind him.

As they got further to the top of the rock, they began to hear strange sounds. It sounded like some kind of strange chanting. Gray and Happy exchanged a glance, before continuing moving up.

Eventually, they reached the top of the rocks, and were greeted by a more than bizarre sight. Standing in a ring, where a great multitude, at least twenty mages, dressed in black robes. Surrounding them was a dark seal, and the chanting was apparently coming from them. Standing at the back, watching them, was a tall figure in a cloak, carrying a leopard-headed staff.

"What is that?" Happy whispered.

"How should I know?" Gray responded, as he watched closely, "Maybe…" He stopped, as he saw the woman (Netja he believed her name was), and the older man (Aogra if he remembered correctly), from earlier appeared. They approached the cloaked man.

"My Lord!" Agora said, bowing his head.

"What?" the man asked, not looking at him.

"We're making more progress than anticipated," Agora explained, "The Ut Resurgat may be done earlier than initially assumed."

"Very good," the man said, as he continued watching the ceremony. It was then that Gray noticed that in the air over the seal, the ice was gathering up, forming some kind of shape, which looked vaguely familiar, but Gray couldn't pinpoint it.

"My lord!" one of the robed mages approached the staff carrying man, "If I may speak?"

"How dare…," Agora began, but the man held up his staff, silencing him, before nodding for the mage to continue.

"I really must insist that we kill those mages," he said, "They will no doubt prove a very prominent thorn in our side."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, my Lord! Now if I must request…"

"And what gives you the position to make requests of me?" the man interrupted, as he towered over the mage, "Are you forgetting your place?"

"No, my Lord! I am simply…"

"It doesn't matter," the man said, "Your task is to do what you're told, nothing more."

"But my Lord…," the mage began, but suddenly the man waved his finger at the mage. And in an instant, he was an ice statue. The man than tapped the butt of his staff on the ground, and the statue shattered into pieces.

"Let this be a reminder!" the man said, "You are here to perform the Ut Resurgat! And that is it!" He then held up his staff.

"Any more requests?" The eyes of the staff glowed menacingly. No one said anything.

"That's what I thought," the man said, "Carry on." The ceremony proceeded, as if nothing had happened.

"With all do respect, my Lord," Agora said, "I believe it necessary to advise against that. These men are a finite resource."

"One is of no consequence," the man answered, "I won't let anything stand in my way of my vengeance."

"Understood," Agora responded.

"Where's Trak?" Netja asked, "He was next to us, and then he left."

"Doesn't matter, he's not part of the ceremony."

"Who is that guy?" Happy asked.

"I don't…," Gray answered, before he froze at the presence that appeared behind him.

"Trespassing is rude," Trak said as he materialized behind the two. With that, he kicked them from behind the rock, and into the open. Everyone turned towards them.

"Who are they?!" Netja cried out. Gray quickly got to his feet, and kicked Happy away.

"Wwwhhhhyyy?!" Happy cried as he soared away.

_Maybe he can get the others_, Gray thought to himself.

"Intruders, I'll deal with them," Agora said, stepping forward, as he held up his hand. But the man held the staff up in front of him. Gray couldn't see his face, but he could tell the man was looking straight at him.

"You," he hissed.

**Note: "Ut Resurgat" is Latin for "rise again". I'm sorry if Gray's flashbacks were subpar, but I wasn't sure what to do exactly with them. Also, I'm sorry about the way time is passing.**

**On the matter of "Eye of the Fire Dragon", I'm at an impasse. The thing is, I don't want to go through all the events of the story all over again, and an tempted to start at a later point in the story, instead of from the Tower of Heaven arc. I set up a poll for that.**


	55. Frieze

_**Frieze**_

"Who the hell are you?" Gray demanded at the man standing over him, carrying a staff.

"Who exactly is this boy, my Lord?" Agora asked.

"Our guest of honor," the man said. Gray thought he could hear a smile behind those words.

"Shall I kill them?" Trak asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"No," the man said, "Follow the direction that cat was flying. No doubt he's going to alert the others."

"Yes, my Lord!" With that, Trak seem to disintegrate, and vanish. The man then turned to the mages who were preforming the ceremony, though they had since ceased.

"Why did you stop?! Continue!" With that, they did as they were told. Gray's face contorted in rage, as he jumped up at the man.

"I won't let you!" he roared, "Ice Make: Battering Ram!" A block of ice swung at the cloaked man, but he just held up his staff, and the ice shattered.

"What the…," Gray said, as he landed on the ground. The man then thrust the staff's head forward, as the eyes began to glow. Then, a massive gorilla made of ice was formed, and leapt at Gray, who just managed to jump to safety.

"Ice Make magic?" he wondered. But what Gray first noticed, was actually the color of the ice. It wasn't light blue like his, it was more of a light green, almost seafoam color.

"Leave this boy to me. I've been looking forward to this," the man instructed, as he stepped forward to challenge Gray, "Netja, go assist Trak. Agora, stay here, and help the ceremony."

After a brief "Yes my Lord" from both of them, Netja ran out to the jungle. Agora went to the ceremony.

"Who are you?!" Gray demanded, as he stood up to face the man. The man laughed, as he thrust the staff into the ground, before using both hands to lower his hood. It was…

No one Gray had ever met before.

The man had sharp features, with large, heterochromatic eyes; the left was blue, the right was orange. His slicked back hair was also split down the middle with two different colors, the left being dark blue, and the right being brilliant red. On his left ear he wore an earring with a snowflake, and on the right, an earring with some kind of flame. He then dropped his cloak, revealing some kind of light armor, that was colored both black and white.

"Again, who the hell are you?" Gray demanded.

"Well, most people here call me, 'my Lord', but I imagine you won't be among them," the man said.

"You got that right."

"Very well then. Frieze."

"What?"

"That's my name," the man said, spreading his arms, "Lord Frieze, at your service. Or probably more accurately, your **disservice**." **(note: pronounced like "freeze")**

"Never heard of you," Gray said, getting in a stance.

"I would expect as much, she probably didn't talk much in length about me," Frieze sneered, "But I guess it doesn't mater at this point. I'm glad you're here to witness this." He then picked up his staff, and glanced towards the ceremony. Gray followed his eyes, and noticed more ice gathering into that strange shape.

"What is that you're doing?" Gray demanded.

"You'll find out in due time," Frieze responded, "But for now…"

"I don't actually care," Gray interrupted.

"Is that so?" Frieze asked.

"All I know that you're defiling Ul's memory, and shaming her work," Gray said, "And that's more than enough reason than to kick your ass."

"Passion is admirable, but not particularly wise," Frieze sneered, "Let me illustrate that to you." He then swung the staff back at Gray, creating massive swarm of ice birds.

"Ice Make: Mace!" Gray yelled, as he created a massive mace of ice, and shattered many of the birds. He then swung it down at Frieze, who just flicked a finger, and the ice completely evaporated.

"The hell?" Gray muttered, "Ice Make: Sword!" The same thing happened with the mace, only this time, Gray didn't even get the chance to swing it.

"Really? Is that it?" Frieze inquired, arching an eyebrow, as he leaned on his staff.

"Far from it," Gray said, as he cracked his knuckles, and charged again.

**(at the camp on the beach)**

"HELP!"

Everyone was shot awake by this sound, as they saw Happy soaring into them.

"Happy!" Lucy cried as she caught him, "What happened?!"

"Trouble!" Happy said quickly, "Top the rock! Gray…"

"Gray in trouble!" Juvia cried, "I'm coming my love!" That wasn't actually what Happy said, but Juvia heard "Gray" and "trouble", and seeing as that was enough for her, was already rocketing towards the rock.

"Come on!" Erza said, "We have to see what this is all about!" With that, she ran after Juvia.

"Wait up!" Lucy said, as she grabbed Natsu, and followed, still carrying Happy.

They ran into the jungle, Juvia at the lead.

_I won't let anyone hurt my beloved Gray! _Juvia thought, as she kept her pace. Then, from the trees, emerged dozens of warriors, wearing the same sort of robe as the cultists, making Juvia stop.

"Juvia!" Erza called, as she and Lucy caught up with her.

"I don't have time for you!" Juvia declared, as she spurted over them in a massive fountain of water

"How'd she do that?" one of the warriors asked.

"Who cares, after her!" another said, as they went to follow her.

"Not so fast!" Erza said, as she blocked their path, "I can't let people like you pass." She then pointed her sword at them.

"Come at me!" With that, the warriors all charged Erza, only for Erza to knock them all away easily.

"I'll help!" Lucy said, "Open, Gate of the Goat: Capricorn!" The goat man appeared in a flash of light, to face Lucy's foes.

"I am glad to be here, Lady Lucy," Capricorn said.

"As am I, now do your thing!" Lucy said, pumping her fist, and pulled out her whip. With that, the spirit charged the warriors, kicking them aside. Lucy used her whip, and lashed it out, knocking them to all to the ground.

One warrior had the idiocy to try and slash at Erza, only for Erza to easily catch the sword, and kick the poor guy away.

"This guys are just mooks," she said, "This is a challenge in so far as stubbing your toe is a fatal injury." Erza slashed away another enemy with ease.

**(at the top of the rock)**

"Ice Make: Arrow!" He shot his arrows at Frieze, who swung his staff's head, shattering all the arrows in the process. Frieze then shot his own stream of arrows at Gray, who created an ice shield, as the arrows harmlessly bounced off. He landed on one knee.

"You speak so highly of defeating me," Frieze explained, "And yet you haven't been able to get close to me." Gray cringed as he stood up. As much as he hated to admit it, Frieze was right. Every technique Gray conjured up was either evaporated somehow, or destroyed with the magic of Frieze's staff. That confused Gray. Those two magics seemed completely different, and while it was not uncommon for a mage to possess more than one kind of magic, that kind seem so incredibly different. And he also noticed that when using Ice Make techniques, Frieze used his staff, not his hands. Though when he evaporated the ice, he did use his hands.

He wasn't allowed to think, as a massive ice snake erupted from the ground, and knocked Gray away.

"I'm honestly not the fool to let my opponent gather his thoughts," Frieze said calmly. Gray skidded to the ground, only for Frieze to tap the staff on the ground, turning the ground to ice, causing Gray to lose his footing. Frieze waved his hand, and instantly, the ground all melted to water. He then approached Gray.

"You bastard," Gray hissed.

"Really? That's the best you can come up with?" Frieze sneered.

"What sort of magic are you using?" Gray demanded as he got to his feet.

"Hm?" Frieze responded, arching an eyebrow.

"Clearly your evaporating of the ice and your Ice Make is completely different," Gray explained, "How can you do that?"

"And I would tell you that, why?" Frieze said, "Is there some code of honor that obligates me to do that?"

"Its called, 'courtesy between enemies'," Gray said with a smirk. For an instant, that confident expression made Frieze's own smirk falter, but he quickly regained it.

"I think I've had enough of this game," he said, as he snapped his fingers. In an instant, a ring of lava appeared around Gray.

"What the hell?!" Gray cried out, as he whirled around. Frieze then stomped his foot, and the ground gave way around Gray.

"Don't worry," Frieze muttered as Gray fell, "I won't kill you yet. I need you alive… for now." He then waved his hand, and the lava turned back into rock.

Gray fell into the inner chamber, where Deliora was, knocking him unconscious.

**Note: So the "lord" wasn't Lyon, and is instead a guy named "Frieze". Wonder what his game is?**

**Don't anyone ask why Gray is still alive while being surrounded with lava. This is a fantasy. You might as well ask why Erza can up such extreme heights, why Lucy can summon non-human entities from an alternate dimension, and Natsu can shoot condensed blasts of energy from his mouth.**


	56. Frozen Memories

_**Frozen Memories**_

"That was simple," Agora said, noting Frieze's defeat over Gray.

"It won't be so the next time," Frieze said as he twirled his staff in his hand briefly, "Next time, he'll know what to expect."

"I have the utmost confidence in your, my Lord."

"That will do me wonders," Frieze said sarcastically.

"And what of that boy's comrades?" Agora asked, approaching him.

"What of them, indeed?"

"In all fairness to your subordinates, they are outnumbered," Agora explained, "Perhaps it would be best if I also threw my hat into the proverbial ring. Especially since they carry the one who ended up drinking the Furari Potentia."

"They may hold the poor soul," Frieze answered, "That doesn't mean they know how to properly utilize it."

"Still, I do not wish for the ceremony to be again interrupted in anyway," Agora responded, "Not after we're so close. And speaking of the one man-turned-stave, perhaps some use could be gotten out of him. Don't you agree?"

"I've no interest in that," Frieze said, "But you're free to him when their dead."

"You are most gracious my Lord. Now, seeing as the ceremony is currently going on unimpeded, and with your presence, will probably remain that way, may I go to deal with our intruders." Frieze thought about that for a time, before waving his hand in approval. With that, Agora headed towards the ground.

**(in Deliora's chamber)**

Gray remained unconscious, with Deliora looming over him. The air grew heavy, as if Deliora recognized the presence of the Ice Mage.

As Gray lay in the shadow of the demon that had brought him so much suffering, Gray remembered…

_(Flashback)_

"_Okay!" Ul as she stood in front of Gray, "Here we are! Home sweet home!" Gray looked past her, and noticed a small cottage at the edge of the forest, shrouded in snow._

"_Ul!" a new voice called, as the door opened, a boy about Gray's age with silver hair emerged from it, "What's this? Who's this little kid?" Ul opened her mouth to explain, but Gray beat her to the punch.._

"_Little!" he yelled, "You're the same age as me! And I'm bet i'm ten times stronger than you!"_

"_Oh yeah!" the boy yelled, as he walked right up to Gray, in an attempt to stand over him, which failed, since they were the same height, "I bet you won't last a single day!" The two angrily stared each other down, before a massive clumps of snow were dumped on both of them._

"_Hey!" both said._

"_Make nice you two," Ul instructed, as she stood over the two, "Now Lyon, like it or not, Gray's going to stay with us, and join you in the training."_

_(the next morning)_

_Gray didn't mind getting up early. He was expecting as much for the raining. What he didn't expect was his teacher instructing him to strip down to his underwear._

"_Are you kidding?!" Gray demanded, "I'm not stripping in the snow."_

"_I told you that he wouldn't last a day!" Lyon said. Gray noticed that he had also stripped down._

"_Understand," Ul explained, also in her underwear, "In order to manipulate the cold, one must be one with the cold." She then bent down, and poked Gray in the forward._

"_I told you that the training would be tough," she said, "Now its time for you to prove that you're up to the challenge." Gray was silent for a time, before he relented, and took off his clothes. With that, they commenced their training._

_The two boys and their teacher commenced their studies, with Ul teaching them basics about understanding the function of the cold._

"_Now, the first thing to know about Maker Magic, is its versatility," she explained, "You can conceivably make anything from this ice. With that, you can potentially defeat any foe." Gray thought about that, and the possibble enemies he'd be able to potentially defeat._

_Deliora…_

_(sometime later)_

_Over time, days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as Gray's education in the art of Ice Make Magic was expanded. One day, they were out in the market, getting their proper supplies As the three walked down the street, anyone could have sworn Ul was the mother of the boys._

"_Thank you," Ul said, as she took a basket of apples._

"_You know, Ul," the vender said, "I'm free tonight in case…"_

"_Thanks but no thanks," Ul said with a smile._

"_Can't blame a man for trying," the vender said, returning the smile._

"_Well, you are the first guy to try asking me out," Ul said._

"_Everyone sees the kids and assumes that you're their mother. So they don't bother to try and ask. And they aren't that far off. From the looks of things, you are their mom." Ul smiled sadly._

"_I'm just their teacher, and they are my beloved students," she explained._

_From the background, the boys watched._

"_What's your dream?" Lyon asked._

"_Where'd that come from?" Gray responded._

"_Just asking," Lyon answered._

"_You first," Gray said. Lyon was silent for a time, as he looked at Gray, before shrugging._

"_Fine, my dream is to one day beat Ul," he said._

"_You want to beat Ul?"_

"_Yeah! Its the dream of all students to one day defeat their teacher!" Lyon explained, thumping his chest, "Don't you want to do it yourself?"_

"_Not really," Gray answered._

"_Really? Then what is it you want to do?"_

"_To get strong enough, and defeat Deliora!" Gray said firmly, "And once I get stronger, I'll leave the ice queen!" His response was a fist to the head from Ul._

_As they were returning home, Gray ran up next to Ul._

"_Yes?" Ul asked._

"_When are you going to teach me some strong magic?" Gray asked._

"_Never," Ul answered calmly._

"_What?!" Gray cried._

"_Because I don't need to," Ul said, making Gray pause, "You already have the means to perform powerful techniques."_

"_What do you mean?" Gray asked._

"_That is the thing about Caster Magic," Ul explained, "Once you find our own style, then it can be as strong as you may wish!" _

"_That's crazy!" Gray said, "I can't make something strong!" Ul began to explain further but noticed something._

"_Gray!" she scolded._

"_What?" Gray asked, before looking down, and noticing he had stripped._

"_Pervert," Lyon muttered._

_After Gray got his clothes back on, they continued walking. As they did, they walked past another group of travelers on the road._

"_Did you here about what happened to the last town?" one asked._

"_You mean that place to the south? Yeah, I heard was completely leveled."_

"_They say it was done by some kind of demon."_

_Gray froze as he heard that._

"_Gray?" Ul asked, as she looked back._

"_What's keeping you?" Lyon asked._

"_Deliora," Gray muttered. Ul grabbed his shoulder._

"_I know what you're thinking," she said, "By no means are you to do that." Gray just stared at the ground, as he clenched his fists, and followed after his fellow student and teacher._

_That night, Gray left. No more waiting. His revenge would be now._

_(Pause Flashback)_

**(with Juvia)**

Juvia continued running, as she got further up the rock, following a path she managed to discover.

"I'm almost there my darling!" she said. Then from the left, a force smashed into her, before Juvia had a chance to activate her water body. She whirled around, and saw Trak standing there, his arms folded, a smaug expression on his face.

"Frieze told me to deal with you," he said, "And from the looks of things, that won't be too difficult."

"You're one of the people who's hurting my beloved?" Juvia demanded.

"Uh…," Trak said, not sure what Juvia meant.

"Then you are my enemy!" Juvia declared, as she summon up her water.

**(with Gray)**

_(Continue Flashback)_

_The roar of Deliora penetrated the sky, as the colossal demon continued his rampage. Gray was lying on top of rubble as was Lyon. Ul was ahead of them, still standing, albeit with a prosthetic leg made out of ice._

"_Ul…," Gray croaked._

"_Gray! Lyon! Go!" Ul instructed._

"_What?! We can't leave you!" Lyon said._

"_I'm not giving you a choice," Ul answered, "You need to live, and by happy!"_

"_But what about you? What about your happiness?" Gray asked._

"_I've already got it," Ul said, "Seeing you grow up was all the happiness I needed." She then turned and smiled._

"_And Gray, if this creature is what is causing your darkness, then I have all the more motivation to defeat it," she continued._

"_But I still need to fight you!" Lyon yelled, as tears gathered in your eyes, "I need to prove my strength!"_

"_There are many mages more skilled than me," Ul said, "Go West if you want to find them. Who knows, maybe you'll meet my brother." She then turned back to face Deliora._

"_Now its time to end this once and for all! And ensure that this demon can never threaten anyone again!" She then held up her hands. Both boys recognized that._

"_NO!" they cried._

"_Iced Shell!" Ul cried, as a series of magic seals appeared around Deliora, before blasting him with ice magic. Ul's body then began to crack, like ice. As she did, she turned to face them._

"_You need to know," she said, "You may not have been my sons, but you were just as good as. Live on, to the future!" With that, her body disintegrated._

"UL!"

_(End Flashback)_

"_Gray…"_

Gray was jolted awake by the sound of the voice, as he looked up, and saw Deliora towering over him. He scowled at the demon, as he noticed ice beginning to slide away from it, and ascending up through a series of magic circles.

"Frieze," he said through gritted teeth. He then got up, and ran back through the temple, to finally end Frieze once and for all.

But something mulled in the back of his brain, that voice. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. The voice of Lyon.

**Note: Something I want to throw out quickly is that "Frieze" has nothing to do with "Frieza" from DBZ. I originally wanted to name him "Freeze", but I felt that was too similar to the actual word, so I changed some letters. It is supposed to be more a reference to Mr. Freeze from Batman.**

**Sorry for just giving you a flashback chapter, but I still needed to get this out of the way for Gray's backstory. Next chapter should have more action.**


	57. Particle Magic

_**Particle Magic**_

Juvia didn't want to be stalled as she was. She had to get to Gray and help him. But this guy, Trak if she remembered correctly, was standing straight in her way. And seeing as this guy was inhibiting Juvia from helping Gray, and was playing a role in making him unhappy, then Juvia was more than slightly intent on defeating him.

"Water Bullet!" she said, as she launched several drops of water at Trak. Trak just vanished into thin air, and the water blasted into the rocks.

"What?" Juvia said.

"Over here," Trak said, as he appeared behind Juvia, and kicked her in the side. The attack passed straight through her water body, doing nothing. Juvia turned into a stream of water, and curved away.

"It will take more than that to hurt me," she said, as she solidified.

"I'd the same about me," Trak said, as he cracked his neck, before muttering, "Water Magic, eh? Going to have to change my tactics." He then completely disintegrated, turning into dust.

"What?" Juvia said, as she turned to counter from where she assumed the attack would come, but there was nothing. Trak had completely vanished.

"Where are you?" Juvia called out.

"Right here." Juvia froze. The voice didn't seem to come from any particular place, and instead to complete surround her. That was when several impacts struck her body. Juvia let out a cry of pain as she was knocked back. Then she was picked up in mid air, and slammed back into the ground.

"How is he hurting me?" she muttered, as she looked up. Trak rematerialized in front of her.

"That was just one attack, and you're already collapsed on the ground?" he said, "You're more than just a pushover." Juvia leapt to her feet.

"Water Slicer!" she called out, as several blades of water formed. They slashed right through Trak, as he fell away in multiple pieces. That caught Juvia off guard. True, her attacks had some power behind them, but never enough to to completely bisect a man. However, the pieces of Trak disintegrated again. Juvia was then hit by another impact, knocking her to her feet.

_How is he doing this?_ she thought. XingLong had managed to hurt her using his Wave Magic, and her beloved had found ways to strike her as well, but this guy didn't seem to be using any of those techniques. Trak then materialized sitting in a tree.

"Tell you what," he said, "I'm a reasonable man. Why don't you just leave and be done with it? Or better yet, join us."

"Why would Juvia want to do that?" Juvia asked, as she looked up at him.

"Frieze may be a tad of a stick of the mud," Trak said, "But he's generous enough. Why else would we all work for him?"

"What is it that you're trying to do?" Juvia demanded.

"Pft! Hell if I know," Trak answered, "I don't pay attention to what's happening on that rock. All I know is that Frieze is pretty intent on finishing it. But he doesn't pay me for questions, so I don't ask them."

"So you just blindly follow a man because he pays you?" Juvia said, "That's disgusting!"

"I'm not looking for your approval," Trak said as he floated to the ground, to face her, "Especially since I'll be killing you in due time."

"Juvia won't let you!" Juvia said, "Juvia has to go to her beloved!"

"You may not have a choice in the matter," Trak answered.

**(with Erza and Lucy)**

The two had managed to defeat all the thugs, but they were still notably tired out. No matter who it was against, fighting took energy, energy which they wouldn't be getting back anytime soon.

"What now?" Lucy asked, still holding onto Natsu.

"We go towards the rock," Erza said, "Chances are that's where Gray is. And where Gray is, we can assume with a level of certainty Juvia won't be far behind."

"Alright," Lucy said, before pausing, "Maybe you should take Natsu?" She held him out to her Erza, who shook her head.

"Natsu doesn't want to work with me, right?" Erza said, looking at Natsu. This time, Natsu didn't flash "yes" or "no". He just remained silent.

"Whatever," Erza said, waving her hand, "You hold onto him for now. Maybe you'll have better luck."

"Okay," Lucy said, but she had serious doubts.

With that, they took off towards the rock, unaware they were being watched.

"I'd like that blonde," Netja said, "That alright with you?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Agora answered, "As long as their stopped. But don't forget that said blonde is carrying the victim of the Furari Potentia."

"So what?" Netja answered, folding her arms, "There's no way she'll be able to use it."

**(with Gray)**

Gray was trying to work his way back up to the top of the rocks, where he could once again face Frieze. At the time, he was following a series of chambers, that he was hoping would lead him back to the top. But in all honesty, not all of his mind was focused on that. In fact, a small portion of it was wondering about that voice he heard, that called his name. It was Lyon's voice.

But that was impossible. He hadn't heard from his fellow student in years, and of him to just pop back up would make no sense. Unless…

Gray abruptly stopped. _No, it can't be_ he thought_ But…._ He then started running, even faster than he already was.

**(with Juvia)**

Juvia skidded to halt, recovering from another strike from Trak. Said mage was standing before her, not a scratch on him.

"Had enough?"

Juvia just glared in response. She didn't understand it. How could Trak be able to do this? Whatever this magic was, it wasn't like anything she'd seen before.

"You know what," Trak said, "You'll be dead soon enough, so it probably won't matter if I tell you this. You see my magic is, Particle Magic."

"Particle Magic? Never heard of it," Juvia said.

"Its a rare form of magic," Trak said, "Not quite yet lost, but certainly getting there. In a nutshell, I can manipulate every particle in body at will. It allows me to disintegrate, and reform myself at will. I can also control particles in a certain area. I can use them to create strikes of magic power."

_That explains how he could hit my water body_ Juvia thought _But that doesn't give me many means by which to defeat him._ She lashed out with another blast of water, which Trak avoided by dissolving, and reforming in front of Juvia. He then held up his hand, sending a pules of energy right into Juvia's chest. This sent Juvia careening into a tree. The Water Mage let out a grasp, as she looked up, Trak standing over her.

"Any last words?" he asked, as he held up his hand, aiming at her face. Juvia melted into water, and slithered in between his legs.

"Water Impact!" Juvia said, reforming behind him, slamming a concentrated blast of water into Trak's back. Trak merely disintegrated again. Another impact hit Juvia in the side, sending flying into the rocks. Juvia panted, as she looked up at Trak reappearing.

"I guess you don't have any last words," he said. With that, he turned back into dust, as Juvia could see energy building up where he was standing, as Trak got ready to let out his final attack. Juvia tried to get up, as her finger nails grated against rock.

"GAH!" Juvia looked up, and saw Trak reformed on the ground, grasping his ears. Juvia cocked her head in curiosity.

"Why you!" Trak yelled, as he got ready to attack again. Juvia grated another fingernail across the rock, and Trak let out another cry of agony.

"Is it that easy?" Juvia muttered, as she ran her fingernails across the rock, Trak still crying in pain. Juvia smiled. She had a plan.

"You bitch!" Trak said, "Now you die!" He noticed Juvia turning her lower body into water, and rocketing towards him.

"It won't work!" Then Juvia held up a rock she was carrying, and dragged her nails along it. Trak lost his focus, and Juvia slammed him in the gut, sending him flying away.

"So that's your weakness," Juvia said, "You can't stand the sound of fingernails on rock." Admittedly, a bizarre weakness, but a weakness none the less, and one Juvia intended to take full advantage of.

"Enough, I don't have any weaknesses!" Trak boasted, as he got ready to attack.

"Water Scratch!" Juvia said, more mockingly that threateningly, as she raked her nails again. Completely incapacitated, Trak was vulnerable as Juvia gathered up another attack.

"Water Nebula!" she yelled, as she sent a wave of water at Trak, slamming into him, and sending him through several trees. Juvia grinned. She'd won.

**Note: I know that's a stupid weakness, but I wanted Trak's defeat to have a comical aspect to it. And personally, that is one sound I really don't like. As for the battle, I hope it was satisfactory. And the ending might have been abrupt, but what happens after Juvia's victory is better suited for the following chapter.**

**Its not a spoiler to say that the next chapter will feature Lucy fighting Netja. Wonder how that will go.**


	58. Seeing Double

_**Seeing Double**_

Lucy and Erza kept running up the hill, with Happy flying over them. Lucy was still carrying Natsu.

"Do we have a plan?" Lucy asked.

"Just grab Gray and get out of here," Erza answered.

"What about Juvia?"

"She'll find us no problem. It seems she has a sixth sense about where Gray always is."

"That's probably an accurate way to put it," Lucy said with a sweat drop.

"But for now…" Erza was interrupted when a massive row of spines flared up in front of them.

"Where'd these come from?" Lucy cried.

"I don't know," Erza said, "Go around them!" They tried to circle, but more spines shout of the ground, blocking their path.

"Trak has been defeated," Agora said as he appeared on top of one of them, "It seems Lord Frieze may have overestimated his capability."

"Doesn't matter," Netja as she emerged from one of them, "The girl he fought will be easy to kill now."

"Juvia," Lucy muttered to herself. Apparently, Juvia had beaten one of their opponents, but if this woman was to be believed, she was vulnerable.

"I can take on both of them!" Erza said, summoning up an additional sword, "You go find Juvia!"

"Right!" Lucy said, as she turned to run back the way they come, which wasn't blocked by spines.

"Oh now you don't!" Netja said, as she pounced at Lucy. The two tumbled into some kind of hole in the rocks.

"Lucy!" Erza called, "Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy said, as he grabbed the dropped Natsu, and followed Lucy down into the hole.

**(with Lucy)**

"Oof!" Lucy grunted as she landed on the ground, in a surprisingly soft landing. When she looked around, she noticed that they were surrounded by grass, despite being in a cave, and she couldn't see Netja anywhere. But there was something she did see.

She saw a group of tall, black trees, with vines that hanged down like tentacles, with what looked like mouths at the end of the vines.

"The Leech Trees!" she said, smiling as she thought _We'll be able to turn Natsu back to normal._

"I'm afraid you won't have the chance," Netja's voice said. Lucy looked around, and saw Netja sitting on a nearby rock. Lucy pulled out her whip, and lashed it at Netja, only for the woman's body to vanish when the whip connected.

"Over here." Lucy looked over her shoulder, and saw Netja standing in a different spot.

"No! Over here!" A third Netja appeared in another place.

"What's going…." Lucy didn't get to finish when a fourth Netja appeared, and punched her in the face, sending her careening away.

"What's wrong?" several Netja voice's asked in unison, "Seeing double?" Lucy looked up, and saw multiple Netja's assembled around her.

"What kind of magic is this?" Lucy asked.

"Take a guess," one Netja said.

"You should be able to figure it out yourself," another continued. Lucy tried combing her mind for magic she knew that had such power, but her thoughts were interrupted when a new Netja kicked her in the back.

"So far you aren't making a good impression," that woman said, "You're seeming pretty damn weak." Lucy cringed as she got up, and grabbed her keys. She briefly wondered what spirit she should use. Pisces could be able to inflict some in their human forms, as could Aquarius, but with Aquarius Lucy didn't have any water, and Pisces would probably be overwhelmed. Cancer wouldn't be any help in this situation, and Capricorn she already used today, which only left Leo and Virgo. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time, so she just grabbed the first one she could grab.

"Open, Gate of the Lion: Leo!" The tall young man appeared before her, adjusting his glasses.

"Its been awhile since you've summoned me," he said, "But you know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Now's not the time for that!" Lucy said, "I need your help right now!" She pointed at the many Netjas standing before them.

"Ah I see," Leo said, frowning, as he made a fist and got ready to fight, "So she uses Double Magic."

"Double Magic?" Lucy asked, raking her brain again for information, before finally finding it, slamming her fist into her palm, "Of course! Double Magic!" It was a simplistic, but potentially very powerful, form of magic that allowed a person to create doubles of themselves.

"Don't think just because you know what I can use, means you'll defeat me," the Netjas all said in unison.

"Maybe not," Lucy said, but its a start. With that, Leo jumped at the Netjas, his fist glowing, before slamming into the first one he could see. However, the Netja just disappeared. Then several more Netjas assembled around Leo, and tried to attack him, but Leo managed to jump away.

"You may be able destroy my clones," Netja's voice called out, but none of the women seen were moving their mouths, "But if you can't beat the original, then you can't beat me."

Lucy cringed, as she faced Netja. This was going to be difficult.

**(with Juvia)**

"Wake up!" Juvia said, as she slapped Trak a second time in an attempt to get him to come to. Trak groaned as he opened his eyes.

"What the…," he muttered.

"You're going to answer Juvia's questions!" Juvia proclaimed.

"Why would I do that?" Trak said, "I'm more afraid of Frieze than I am of you." Juvia was silent, as she held up a rock. **(I imagine her making one of those comical face faults during this)**

"Water Scratch." She dragged her fingernail across the stone, as Trak squirmed.

"I won't talk! Trak yelled, still defiant. Juvia continued to scratch non-stop, still somewhat puzzled that this man had such a bizarre weakness.

Juvia continued her stone grating, until finally, Trak cracked.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Just stop that accursed noise!" he cried.

"Good!" Juvia said, "Now tell me your Lord's plan!"

"I don't know!" Juvia held her finger to the rock.

"I swear I don't!" Trak yelled. This time Juvia believed him.

"Then what do you know?"

"Only that I was supposed to deliver the Furari Potentia!" Trak explained. Juvia blinked, as she looked over Trak, who was a young man. Apparently noting his confusion, Trak's body briefly shimmered, before turning into an older fellow, and then back into himself.

"I can shape shift to a certain extent with my magic," Trak said, before grinning, "And with that…" He then turned into Lucy, with that same dark grin.

"Now try beating your…"

"Love rival!" Juvia yelled, as she doused Trak with water, sending him slamming into the ground.

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea," Trak said as his eyes spiraled.

"Now, how do we beat your master!" Juvia demanded.

"You honestly don't expect time tell you that!" Trak said. Juvia responded by holding up two rocks, and demonstrated rubbing the two together.

"The Ice Make Magic isn't his natural magic!" Trak quickly said, "His actual magic is Temperature Magic!"

"Temperature Magic?" Juvia asked.

"He can control the temperature in a certain area," Trak explained, "But that magic isn't easy to control, it could easily cause him to incinerate, or freeze. To keep it in check, he has to wear a special amulet. If you destroy it…"

"We destroy him," Juvia finished. She then dropped the rocks.

"Juvia thanks you for your cooperation," she said, before heaving a rock at Trak's head, knocking him out. Juvia then resumed her search for her beloved.

**(with Lucy)**

Lucy fell to one knee panting. She had been whipping all the clones she could find, but was still no closer to finding the original. Leo didn't seem to be having much luck either.

"What do we do?" Lucy asked.

"For now stay behind me," Leo instructed, "Maybe I can figure out which one's real."

"You won't be able to do that," Netja's voice echoed, "There's nothing any of you can do. You're both done for." Lucy cringed. They was, indeed, running out of options. At this point, Lucy honestly didn't know what to do; she'd been hoping Leo would have an idea, but he apparently didn't. Lucy was almost out of magical power, and couldn't summon anymore of her spirits at this point. But it probably didn't matter, since she couldn't think of any spirits that could do anything against Netja. So she decided to go back to square one, and charged her foes.

"Lucy Kick!" she said, as she kicked one of them. The clone disintegrated.

"Nice try." Another Netja punched Lucy aside, towards one of the Leech Trees. As Lucy got back up, one of the vines shot at her, mouth open. Lucy yelped, as she dove out of the way, avoiding it. However, another vine grabbed Lucy by the arm. Lucy let out a cry, as she felt the teeth cringed into her flesh.

"Lucy!" a familiar voice called out. Happy flew past Lucy, using his claws to cut the vine.

"Happy!" Lucy called, "What are you doing here?"

"Erza told me to follow you!" Happy explained, "And I had to hold onto Natsu!" Lucy noticed that he was indeed carrying Natsu. Lucy then looked at her arm. She had assumed that the trees were sucking her magic power, only to see gashes in her arm, with blood trickling out.

"I guess that's why they call these 'Leech Trees'," Lucy muttered. That was when she got an idea.

"Hey! You narcissistic harpy!" Lucy called. The clones all turned to Lucy.

"What are you doing?!" Leo called out. Lucy shot him a look that said "Follow my lead", which Leo decided to do. He thought he had an understanding. Lucy then ran into the Leech Trees. Several of the clones followed after Lucy.

Lucy dodged more of the snapping mouths from the Leech Trees. Her plan was to lead Netja into the trees, where they would grab Netja, thinning out all the clones, leaving just the original. She looked over her shoulder, checking to see how her plan was doing.

However, when she looked, she couldn't see Netja, or the clones. Lucy ducked out of the way more of the vines, only for Netja's voice to call out.

"So this is your plan?" she asked, "I'm afraid you're going to have do much better than that." Lucy then turned, and saw a series of clones standing atop the branches. The vines were completely ignoring them.

"What…," Lucy stumbled, as several of the vines grabbed her.

"I'm under the impression that you came to this island looking for the Leech Trees," Netja said, "But clearly you didn't do your research. The trees only go for human blood, and my clones technically aren't human."

"Well that's just fantastic!" Lucy muttered to herself, as she struggled against the vines, as they began to sink their teeth into her. She let out a cry of pain.

"Lucy!" Happy called, as he flew at her. Netja apparently noticed as her clones all scowled.

"I hate cats!" all the Netjas declared, as one of them kicked Happy away.

"AAAYYYEEE!" Happy cried, as he tumbled away.

"Happy!" Lucy called.

"Lucy!" Happy responded, before throwing Natsu at her. Lucy, on instinct, held out her hand, and caught him. Natsu's eyes then glowed. In an instant, the vines were shredded.

Lucy landed on the ground, and looked at Natsu.

"Lucy!" Leo called, as he ran up to her, not affected by the trees since he was a Celestial Spirit. Lucy got up, using Natsu as support. She stared at him in surprise. Had he saved her? She smiled.

"I got a plan!" she said.

"What is it?" Leo asked. Lucy winked at him.

"I was actually talking to Natsu," she explained, before spinning him in her hands, and slamming his end into the ground, "Leo, can you use Regulus?"

"Of course I can, but…"

"Then do it!" Lucy instructed. Leo hesitated, but did as his mistress told him, and gathered him his energy in his fist. Lucy then looked at Natsu.

"Natsu, I need your help," she said, "Now, will you give it to me?" There was a pause, before Natsu flashed.

"Yes." Lucy smiled. She looked and saw all the Netjas assembled in front of her.

"Giving up?" they asked.

"Far from it!" Lucy declared, as she held up Natsu. He and her began to glow a brilliant blue. Then the energy from Regulus left Leo and went to Natsu's head.

"What…," then he turned, and saw Lucy with Natsu, smiling, "Way to think."

Lucy then spun Natsu through the air, before thrusting it forward.

"Chaos Regulus!"

The combined Regulus-Dragon Slayer magic burst from Natsu's mouth. It blasted towards Netja, whose expression suddenly turned grim. With all this power, her clones… wouldn't be enough.

With a massive explosion, all the clones were disintegrated, and Lucy could see the original Netja careening though the air. The force was so great, Lucy had to shield herself from the shockwave. When she looked up, she saw Netja lying several feet away, unconscious. Lucy stared in shock, before grinning.

"We did it!" she said, as she hugged Natsu, jumping happily. She then realized what she was doing, and held Natsu away, blushing. She then turned towards Leo, and Happy, who were now both standing in front of her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "We won!"

"You're dumb," was all Happy said.

"What do you…," Lucy turned. All the Leech Trees had been blown away.

**Note: Sorry I wasn't able to give you the general update a day, but I was sick, and I couldn't properly write. I hope you're all satisfied with this fight, and this little NaLu scene dropped in.**

**So the Leech Trees have all been destroyed? What will they do now?"**


	59. Needle Shot

_**Needle Shot**_

"Oh," was all Lucy could see initially, as she looked at splintered Leech trees. Her face was turning the same color of Erza's hair, as she felt Natsu's gaze baring down on her.

"What do we do now?" Happy cried, "Natsu will be a stick forever!" Lucy looked at Natsu, and saw his eyes glowing angrily at her.

"What was I supposed to do?" she asked, "I didn't know it was going to do that!"

"That is correct," Leo commented, "She had no means of knowing the power of combining Regulus with Dragon Slayer magic would produce such a power. And it was certainly something.

That was something everybody could agree with. While carrying Natsu, Lucy felt strangely empowered, as if she herself were a Dragon Slayer in some way. But the way Natsu was still glaring at her, which slightly inhibited her moment.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Lucy said, "But there has to be another way! Maybe there are more Leech Trees somewhere!" Natsu stared at her.

"I know its a long shot," Lucy answered, "But would you rather we give up and keep you like this?" Natsu paused, before blinking twice.

"Alright!" Lucy said, "Let's go find Erza!"

"I believe I should take my leave now," Leo said.

"Okay," Lucy said with a smile, "Thanks for your help."

"Perhaps next time we can grab some dinner?" Leo said as he flashed away back into the Celestial Spirit World.

"I don't think so," Lucy said, with a sweat drop.

**(with Erza)**

Now, as everyone knows, Erza wasn't a pushover, and putting her on the ropes took a strong opponent. Agora seemed to be close.

Every attack Erza said, Agora managed to block. While he had yet to land a single hit on Erza, the constant attempts to attack him began to wear her down.

She let out another yell, as she brought down her sword on Agora. However, Agora held up his arm, and a series of spines emerged from his arms, intercepting the blade. Erza was knocked back, and skidded to the ground. She glared at him.

"I think I now understand what you can do," Erza said.

"Is that so?" Erza wiped the side of her mouth as she stood up straight.

"You're using Needle Magic," Erza explained, "You can create needles and spines at will."

"You're an observant young woman," Agora commented, "It takes most people a longer time to take note of that." Erza glowered, as she re-quipped into her Flight Armor. It was a rather skimpy peace of armor that some people compared to a stripper outfit. But Erza wasn't one to care about how she looked in battle. Practicality trumped fashion.

"But I also noticed your weakness," she said.

"You did, did you?" Agora inquired, arching an eyebrow, "And what would that be?" Erza responded, by jumping forth at her foe.

She swung her dual swords at Agora, who summoned a long needle into his hand, and held it up to intercept the attack. However, Erza was too fast, as she knocked the make shift spear from Agora's hand, and slashed him across the side. Agora let out a grunt of pain, as he grabbed his side.

_He may be able to create infinite needles _Erza thought_ But he's slow._ She then dashed back at Agora, and slashed at his back. The man created a series of needles on his back, catching the swords. Erza responded by kicking him in the side, sending him careening away, and crashing into a tree. Erza stood up straight, spinning her swords in her hands.

"I've got the upper hand," she said, " Surrender, and tell me your plans, and I'll let you go." Agora emerged from the dust, and spat out some blood.

"Don't you get cocky," he said, "I'm just getting warmed up." He then let out a yell, as he stamped his foot into the ground.

"Field of Needles!" Like grass, needles shot out of the ground. Erza let out a grunt, as she jumped up, being careful to try and avoid some. But she couldn't dodge them all.

Erza let out a cry of pain, as a needle pierced her left foot, right through her armor.

**(with Lucy)**

"That sounds like Erza!" Happy said. Lucy turned, and looked in the direction Happy was pointing.

"We have to go help her!" she declared, as she started running in the direction. She looked Natsu, which gave her an idea.

"Natsu, I have a plan! But you have to work with us on this!" Lucy said. Natsu remained still.

**(with Erza)**

Erza managed to hop out of the Needle Field, as she grabbed her wounded foot. She cursed her incompetence. Of the all the techniques she should have seen coming, this was one of them.

"What ever happened to your statements about my weakness?" Agora sneered, as he stood to face Erza, folding his arms. Erza just scowled at her foe.

"One strike doesn't matter," she said, as she slowly rose to her feet. She may have sounded like she could take Agora, but she didn't feel like that would be as easy as she earlier thought. This guy had just prevented her from doing ground attacks. She didn't have that much armor at her disposal that could resist the needles, save for maybe her Purgatory Armor, but she didn't feel she had enough magic to utilize that set at the time. Instead, Erza decided to try instead go going by ground, she'd go by air.

She summoned up her Black Wing armor, and shot at Agora. Agora then jumped out of the way, and summoned a needle, stabbing at Erza's side. Erza just managed to catch it, and avoid being skewered. However, this made her aware of something bad. Either Agora had gotten faster, or (and more likely) Erza had gotten slower. Her tolerance to pain was relatively strong, but something about this pain seemed worse. She soared away, till she was kneeling on a tree branch. She looked at her foot, and noticed what looked like tiny….

"Metal files?" she asked.

"Not exactly," Agora said, as he rose up to her level, standing on a long needle, "Tiny needles are more accurately. Burrowing through your flesh." Eventually, they'll work their way up to her heart, and snuff it out like a candle." Erza glared, as she summoned a sword into her other, and threw it at Agora, who leaned out of the way like it was nothing.

"Getting a tad desperate are we?" he asked, as he snapped his fingers. Erza let out another cry of pain as the needles moved further up her leg, causing her to fall out of the tree. Agora jumped down at her, intending of impaling her on one of his needle spears. Erza summoned up her defense armor, and the needle bounced off the massive shield. She then required back into her Black Wing armor, and flew away. She then landed on the ground, struggling to stand on her bad leg, as she re-quipped into her Heaven's Wheel.

"Bluemblat!" she said, as she shot her swords at Agora, who either jumped out of the way, or blocked with his needles. He then held up his finger.

"Needle Rifle!" he said. A thin needle shot out of his fingertip, and whisked towards Erza. Erza managed to deflect it, but then another shot through her shoulder. She cried out, as she felt the tiny needles beginning to burrow through her flesh. She fell to the ground, barely able to move. Agora walked over to her, as he summoned up a spear.

"I'm honestly not a sadist," he said, "So I'll end your suffering her and now. Would you prefer through the head, or through the heart?" Erza just glared up at him.

"You bastard…," she muttered.

"Head it is then," Agora said, before muttering, "If only to shut you up." He then began to bring down the spear on Erza's head, before…

"AYE!" Happy slammed into Agora's face, causing his aim to slip, and instead stab the ground next to Erza, taking off a couple of her hairs.

"Happy!" Erza cried.

"Erza!" Lucy called, as she ran up.

"Lucy!" Erza said, "What are you doing here? You need to get away!"

"And leave you to this?" Lucy said, "No way in hell!" Erza cringed. She desperately wanted Lucy to leave, if only for her safety. If Erza couldn't beat this guy, chances are Lucy would be dead quickly.

"I may not be able to help you fight," Lucy said, "But I can do this!" She then tossed something at Erza. Erza saw it was Natsu, but something was different. She smiled, as she caught him.

A blast of blue light flared up, causing everyone around them to shield their eyes.

"What's this?!" Agora demanded. The figure of Erza appeared in the light, standing straight up, as if wounds were completely gone. When the light completely faded, all the needles pushed into her body were in a pile of dust at Erza's feet.

"Wow!" Lucy muttered.

"Aye," was all Happy said as he floated up next to Lucy. Agora remained silent, as he stared in awe.

Erza was wearing armor unlike any before. It was black and blue in coloration, with a design that resembled scales. She was wearing black gauntlets that ended in what looked like claws, the same with her boots. Coming from her back, was what almost looked like a tail. On her back, were massive wings, and her helmet resembled the head of a dragon, with four horns that curved back, and a ridge running across the top. In Erza's right hand, was Natsu, who was glowing.

"Chaos Dragon Armor!" Erza proclaimed.

"Her magic merged with Natsu," Lucy said in awe.

"She looks so strong!" Happy said.

Erza could feel the power flowing through her veins, as the pain completely vanished.

"Let's go, Natsu!" she said with a grin. Natsu's eyes glowed in response. With that, Erza sprang at Agora, by the ground.

"Needle Field!" The needles shot out of the ground again, but instead of piercing her feet, Erza ran over them like nothing.

"That's…," Agora didn't get the chance to say "impossible", as Erza hit him in the side with Natsu, sending him tumbling away into a tree. Erza then held up Natsu, as a sword made out of Natsu's magical energy appeared.

"Chaos Blade!" she said, as she shot the sword at Agora, who summoned up his needles to block it only for the sword to go right through them, and slash Agora's shoulder. Agora let out a cry of pain, but then saw Erza appear before him, who punched with a magical charged fist in the face. Agora was against a tree, but the tree splintered from the combined power of Natsu and Erza, and he was sent flying through the first.

Erza flapped her new wings, and soared over to where Agora was lying in the wreckage of trees, badly injured.

"Give up now?" she asked. Agora was silent for a time.

"Not on your life," he answered, as he sunk into the ground. Then Erza heard his voice.

"Needle Forest!" Erza saw needles shoot out of the ground like bamboo, heading towards Lucy.

"Lucy!" Erza cried, and was relived to see Happy in the air, holding Lucy up.

"I'm okay!" Lucy called, waving.

"I won't let you measly mages beat me!" Agora's called, as a series of needles shot out from the larger needles towards Erza. Erza spun Natsu through the air, as all the needles that were shot at her were deflected.

That was when Agora appeared behind her, carrying a spear.

"No die!" he declared, as he brought down the spear at Erza, who just held up her arm, and the needle broke against the armor. Agora could only watch in stun silence, as Erza held up Natsu.

"Apocalypse Strike!" she said, as she slammed Natsu into the ground, creating a massive wave of magical energy, that destroyed all the needles, and sent Agora flying away.

**(with Frieze)**

Frieze looked over his shoulder, as he saw the dust coming from the jungle.

"So Agora's fallen?" he muttered, "I guess that just leaves me." He turned towards the ritual performers.

"Keep going!" he ordered, "Double time!"

"But my Lord…" Before the man could finish speaking, he was a pile of ash.

"I said double time!" Frieze said.

**(with Erza)**

Erza fell to her knees, as she let go of Natsu. As she did, the Chaos Dragon Armor faded away. Erza smiled at Natsu.

"Thanks Natsu," she said, "You may have just helped to save my life."

"Erza!" Lucy and Happy called as they ran over, "Are you okay?"

"Better than I was a while ago," Erza said, as she used Natsu to prop herself back up, "Thank you."

"No problem," Lucy said with a "v" sign and a smile.

"Now we have to continue going to Gray," Erza said.

"No way!" Lucy said, "You're in no shape to fight! You need to go back to the ship!" Erza panted as she stood up partially straight.

"I've had worse," she said.

"Aye, that's true," Happy chimed in. Lucy was inclined to agree initially, but then she remembered that this time she could actually stop Erza if need be.

"No!" she repeated, "You're worse off than any of us! You can barely even stand! You need to rest!" Erza looked at Lucy in surprise. No one has ever told her to do that before. She smiled.

"Whatever you say," she said, "I'll get some rest." She held out Natsu.

"You should take him." Lucy shook her head.

"I don't have enough magic to fight," she said, "You hold onto Natsu, while Happy and I go look for Gray. When we find him, we'll bring him back." Erza sighed, before nodding in understanding.

"Very well then, be careful!" she said.

"I always am!" Lucy answered, as she started running up hill, Happy flying next to her.

"You didn't tell her about the trees," Happy commented. Lucy cringed.

"I'll save that for when this is done," she said.

Erza smiled, as she watched the two run away. She was indeed going to go back to the ship, but for now, would rest, leaning against a tree, taking a breath.

Further away, Agora was still conscious. He looked at Erza, glowering intensely. He then weakly held up his finger.

With that, Agora shot a single needle at Erza, heading for her head.

**Note: Sorry about the cliffhanger. But you'll have to wait for now.**

**I hope the battle with Erza was good. My plan was for both Lucy and Erza to use Natsu, and draw off his power. I think I did it well.**

**Quick thing about the pairings. I'll be honest, the reason I'm hesitant to choose, is that I'm worried many of my readers will abruptly stop reading if its a pairing they don't like.**


	60. Gray vs Frieze

_**Gray vs. Frieze**_

The needle shot straight of Erza's head. She could sense something behind her, and she turned.

Just as the needle had abruptly stopped.

Erza sucked in her breath in surprise. Standing behind her, was the Masked Man, having caught the needle in mid air. Erza stared in shock, at the man who had just saved her. Agora looked in bewilderment, before passing out.

The Masked Man dropped the needle to the ground, looking straight at Erza, completely silent.

"Thank…," Erza began, before the Masked Man shot away into the jungle.

"Wait!" Erza called, as she tried to follow him, only to nearly lose her footing. She looked up, seeing no sign of the Masked Man. He seemingly vanished into the trees.

"Who was that guy?" she muttered. She looked to Natsu.

"Have you ever seen that guy before?"

"No," Natsu flashed. Erza then looked back into the forest in wonder.

**(with Gray)**

With a breath, Gray pulled himself onto solid ground. He wasn't at the top of the formation, but he seemed particularly high up. Gray then started running down the nearest hall, which lead him back into the open.

He then started running up hill, towards where he could see the glow of the strange ritual.

**(with Frieze)**

Frieze was a patient man. But now, his patience was beginning to wane. When he sent out Netja and Trak, he had only a certain level of confidence in them. They were strong, but Frieze understood the power possessed by Fairy Tail, and he kept that in mind.

But it didn't matter, he had gotten too far, and he wasn't intending on giving up at this point. He had only one goal, and the others were just means by which he would achieve the goal.

"I won't give up," Frieze muttered, as he gripped his staff so tightly his veins showed, "I will have my revenge!" He watched the ritual proceed, as the ice gathered in the air over them.

"FRIEZE!" The lord turned, and saw Gray climbing up to where he was.

"Welcome back," Frieze sneered, "Are you ready to be trounced again?"

"No, but I am reading to do the trouncing!" Gray said, as he took his pose. Frieze smiled, as he held up his staff, the eyes glowing. He then slammed the head into the ground, sending a massive column of ice hurling at Gray.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray said, as he created a shield of ice. The column broke through the shield,and knocked back Gray. The mage skidded away, as he charged Frieze again.

"Ice Make: Axe!" he said, as he brought down his ice axe on his enemy. However, the ice evaporated as it did before. Frieze then swung his staff at Gray, knocking him away. As Gray tumbled away, Frieze held up his free hand. A glowing red orb appeared over his palm, which he then threw at Gray.

Gray looked up, and managed to roll away just in time, as the orb hit a rock, burning right through it. Gray glared at Frieze.

"It will take more than glaring at me if you intend to win," Frieze said. Gray then let out a yell.

"Ice Make: Arrow!" The ice arrows blasted at the sorcerer, who held up the hand that threw the orb, where the ice turned to steam. Frieze then tapped his staff on the ground, turning the ground to ice. He then tapped the staff against both his boots, forming what looked like skates on them; he then started skating towards Gray.

"Ice Make: Skates!" Gray said, as he decided to play Frieze's game. The two zipped towards each other, as Gray got his hands together.

"Ice Make: Sword!" He slashed at Frieze, who deflected with his staff. Frieze then created a giant snake out of ice, which Gray shattered by using an ice hammer. The two skidded to a halt on opposite sides. Gray glared while Frieze smirked.

"At least you're doing better than last time," he said. Gray just remained silent, not planning on gracing Frieze with a response. His eyes briefly flashed towards the ritual, which was still going on uninterrupted.

"You won't be able to stop it," Frieze said, "Only by defeating me can you hope to do that. And, of course, there is no hope of doing that."

"Why are you doing this?" Gray demanded, "What do you even have to gain from releasing Deliora?"

"Deliora?" Frieze inquired, "What of Deliora?" That caught Gray off guard

"You mean you aren't trying to release the demon?" he asked.

"Technically no," Frieze answered, "But if it does release Deliora, I don't care. My revenge is not towards it!" Gray was left wondering about what his goal was then. He couldn't think of any other reason for a person to start shaving ice of out the Iced Shell.

"Well it doesn't matter!" he said, as Gray created a mace made out of ice, "The fact that Deliora will be released is enough reason for me to stop you!"

"Best of luck," Frieze said sarcastically, as he readied his staff. Gray got read to move forward, and as he did, he heard….

"_Gray…"_ It was Lyon's voice again. Gray looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from. But it seemed Frieze heard it as well.

"Damn this thing," he muttered. Gray looked straight at him, as the situation dawned on him.

"You mean…," he began.

"Indeed," Frieze said, as he slammed the brunt of the staff into the ground.

"Dear God!" Gray said as he recoiled back. Lyon had been turned into a magic staff like Natsu.

"How is that possible?" Gray demanded.

"Simple, he drank Furari Potentia," Frieze explained.

"Not that!" Gray said, "Natsu doesn't let anyone use him! There's no way Lyon would let someone like you control him!"

"Perhaps, but its not like he really has a choice," Frieze answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose I can explain this to you," Frieze said, before beginning, "The four primary ingredients of Furari Potentia are root from a Leech Tree, mucus from an Abyss Toad, venom from a Blood Snake, and leaves from Shadow Ivy. But there is one final ingredient: blood from the brewer. The blood allows the brewer to have absolute control over the drinker." Frieze illustrated his point, by creating an ice statue of what looked like Lyon to Gray.

"Anything I will, the staff will do," he said proudly, "Truly magnificent in that way."

Gray glared, as he held up his hand, forming an ice gauntlet around you.

"Well then…," he muttered.

"'Well then' what?"

"I just got another reason to beat you!" Gray yelled, and with that, he sprung at Frieze, who in turn, sprung at him. Gray swung his fist, and Frieze swung his staff, Lyon for all intents on purpose. The head of the staff, and Gray's fist collided in a flash of light.

**(with Juvia)**

Juvia had opted to try and use a different tactic while climbing. She would turn her body into a geyser of water, and jump from ledge to ledge.

"I'm coming my love!" she cried. Juvia knew she had to get the information she'd gotten out of Trak to Gray, so that he could beat Frieze. And if he could, with her help, then…

_(Imagination)_

"_Juvia!" a beautiful Gray called, holding out his hand, "You saved my life."_

"_My beloved!" Juvia called, as she reached for his hand._

"_I need no one else but you," Gray explained, as he took her hand. Behind him were Lucy, Erza, Natsu (still in staff form), and Happy for some reason, were in a beaten pile._

"_Let us have a dozen babies," Gray said._

_With a flash, Juvia was carrying a bunch of blue and black haired boys and girls._

"_Oh my love! We will be together forever!"_

_(End Imagination)_

Juvia swooned some more, as she started moving up even faster. She then noticed a large flash at the top of the rock. Now knowing exactly where to go, Juvia started moving in that direction.

**(with Gray and Frieze)**

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray thrust his ice lance at Frieze, who melted the ice in an instant. He then waved Lyon at Gray, creating a swarm of falcons made of ice. Gray created an hammer, and shattered them all.

"Ice Make: Arrow!" Frieze created another red orb, and launched it at Gray, who dove out of the way, after it vaporized all the arrows. The two mages skidded to a halt on opposite sides of the battle, both were panting.

"Impressive, boy," Frieze commented, "You're faring better than I expected; and I'm not even holding back."

"Spare me the compliments," Gray answered, "I don't need your false praise."

"Who said I was being false?" Frieze responded, as he spun Lyon through the air. He then thrust the head into the air, and from the mouth of the leopard (which made up the head), came an icy mist, which rocketed at Gray. The moment it completely developed him, it solidified, encasing Gray completely in ice. For a brief instant, the area was silent, save for the chanting from the nearby ritual.

"Come on," Frieze muttered, "You were trained by Ul. You're stronger than that." True enough, the ice encasing Gray shattered, and Gray charged out.

"Ice Make: Battering Ram!" He launched the attack at Frieze, who evaporated it into steam. But during the period his sight was blocked by the steam, Gray appeared before him, his hand encased in ice. With a yell, he punched Frieze clean in the face, causing the lord to be sent careening away, and into a rock. Nevertheless, he kept a tight grip on Lyon.

"Why would you do this to Ul's memory?" Gray demanded," Regardless of what your ultimate plan is, you should know that doing this would release Deliora. And yet you still defile Ul's memory!" He then heard Frieze laugh sinisterly as he rose to his feet.

"You completely misunderstand me," he said, "I have no intention of defiling Ul's memory. Quite to the contrary, I intend to do the absolute best thing for her."

"What's that?" Gray asked, narrowing his eyes. Frieze's grin turned even more malicious.

"Bring her back!" Frieze said, raising his hands in awe. Gray doubled back, before he looked at the ritual. Now that he thought about it, the shape the ice was taking was now more familiar. No. It was more than familiar. The ice was taking the shape of Ul.

"You're trying to bring her back to life?" Gray muttered.

"Indeed I am," Frieze answered.

"Why?"

Frieze gave a typical smug expression, but somehow, this one seemed even smugger.

"Does a man need a reason to try and bring back his big sister?"

**Note: Come on, did you really think I was going to kill Erza? I'd have to be completely off my rocker. On that note, the man who saved her was the masked man watching the Fantasia Parade, and we saw him in chapter 52, clinging to the boat. Got to stay aware everybody. Now the question is, why did he save her?**

**It also appears that Frieze's staff is Lyon, having drunk Furari Potentia, though I imagine a lot of people realized that relatively early on.**

**And Frieze has revealed his Ul's brother. Let's see where this goes, and what his true gambit is.**


	61. Frieze's Gambit

_**Frieze's Gambit**_

"Big sister?" Gray echoed in shock.

"You heard me," Frieze answered.

"You're Ul's little brother?"

"Yes, that is the antonym of 'big sister'."

In a list of possible connections Frieze could have to Ul, that was one Gray was not expecting. He did know that Ul had a brother, since she mentioned one a couple of times over time. Though it was clearly a topic she didn't like rocking about. The only topic Gray knew her to avoid even more was that of her daughter.

"So then, that's why you're trying to revive her?" Gray asked, "You want to reunite with your sister?"

"Yes, but no."

"The hell's that supposed to mean."

"My intention is to reunite with my beloved sister," Frieze said with an obvious strain of sarcasm, "But once I do, I'm going to kill her myself."

"You're going to do what?!" Gray responded, "Why would you do that? She's your sister!"

For a time, Frieze silent. His grip on Lyon tightened in anger, as if remembering a foul memory.

"Do you know what its like?" he muttered, "To be forever in the shadow of another, or to be the point of comparison for another, always told that you're the second best? That was my life….

_(Flashback)_

_A young Frieze (whose hair was not split down the middle, and was just dark blue), held out his hand, struggling to make ice. He created a smile ball of ice, and he beamed._

_Frieze turned to show it to his parents, only to see, in front of him, a young Ul held up a fully formed ice sculpture of a bird to them._

"Since we were children, Ul showed prowess I never did. She was the prodigy, I was the amateur."

_Frieze stood in the snow at night, as he struggled to train. Inside, he could hear his parents talking to Ul._

"_You are truly a whiz."_

"_Yes, Frieze could learn much from you." Said boy glared at the house, tears forming in his eyes, as his teeth clenched._

"No matter what I did, I could never reach Ul's level. And people never let me forget it."

"_Let your sister show you how its done."_

"_Leave the Ice Make to Ul."_

_As people stood around Ul, as she showed off her Ice Make, Frieze stood in the background, his fists clenched, as his eyes on the ground._

"It became clear that my skill would never be in Ice Make, so I changed my priorities."

_Frieze stood in front of a cup of water. He held up his hands, and closed his eyes, focusing. His right hand glowed red, as the water started bubbling. Soon after, his left hand glowed blue, as the water stopped bubbling, and began to ice._

"I turned my attention to learning Temperature Magic. I figured maybe then, I would be able to be a prodigy of something different. I could be able to do something Ul couldn't."

_The boy ran to show his family what he could do with the water, only to see a group of people standing before Ul, who had created a life sized sculpture of ice of her family. Frieze was in the middle, but Ul's hands were on his shoulders, and she was standing over him. Frieze stared at the sight, as he dropped his cup. Tears began to well in his eyes, as he clenched his fists harder than over before. The air around him began to grow hot. He glared at his sister with greater anger than thought possible._

"But it didn't matter. It was clear I would always be her lesser. Her second. So I nursed by grudge, by frustration, my hatred for my sister. Until many years into the future, I was ready to defeat, and prove I was greater…"

_A now adult Frieze and Ul faced each other down in the snow. Frieze let out a yell, as he sent of a red wave of heat, who jumped out of the way, and sent a column of ice at him; Frieze evaporated it instantly, but Ul ran up to him, and formed an ice gauntlet, punching Frieze in the face, sending him careening away._

_With an angry cry, Frieze inhaled, before letting a stream of hot breath at Ul. It hit her straight on, but turned out to be an ice clone. The real Ul appeared from behind, summoning a club, knocking Frieze away. The Temperature Mage lay on the ground, defeated, as Ul stood over him._

"But it wasn't enough, I couldn't defeat her."

_(End Flashback)_

"So I waited," Frieze continued, "I trained, I got stronger, and I prepared. Then I heard that Ul had met her end, at the hands of a demon. And when I heard that, I was beyond outraged. My victory, my vengeance ripped out from under my feet. So I took Deliora, and transported it to this island, until I could find a means to bring her up. Over the years of my searching, Deliora's presence corrupted the island, twisting the rock formations, turning the island's atmosphere cruel and hateful, and leading to the growth of the Leech Trees.

"During this time, I founded by own dark order, dedicated to finding this goal, earned myself the rank of 'lord', and I continued waiting. Until a month ago, I was approached my a man by the name of Agora, who told me of the Ust Resugart, which I could use to raise Ul from the grave, and take my revenge."

Gray listened as Frieze explained his past. He wasn't sure it was all relevant to the situation, but at least now he had an understanding. That is, save for one detail…

"That's all real sad," Gray sad plainly, "But what do you want with me and Lyon?" Frieze looked briefly at Lyon in his hand, before back at Gray.

"I wanted to finally be able to beat Ul at her own game, but I had no skill in Ice Make Magic," he explained, "So I figured, what better what to kill her, than to use there power of her own students to my advantage?" He eyed Gray cruelly.

"Its a shame," Frieze said, "I would have thought an bird of some kind, maybe an eagle. Of course, your poor friend had to drink the potion instead, so that didn't work. So instead, I'll just kill you in front of Ul, after I revive her." Gray's glared deepened, as he stared down Frieze.

"And then what of Deliora?" he asked, "Is the demon just a bonus?"

"I don't care for Deliora," Frieze said with a shrug, "After I kill Ul, I'll just be on my merry way. Deliora is free to do whatever the hell it wants."

"So you're willing to put so many people in danger just for your petty rivalry?" Gray said through gritted teeth.

"Of course," Frieze said with a shrug, "What did you expect fro me? I'm a dark mage, its what we do." Then Gray snapped. He had tasted Deliora's terror personally, and the fact that this guy was so readily going to unleash it back onto the world…

"DIE!" Gray sprung into the air, using an ice spring board. He then created a rain of ice arrows, bringing them down upon Frieze, who just waved his hand, and evaporated them. He then thrust Lyon at Gray, creating a series of ice chains that constricted him. With a yell, Frieze turned and slammed Gray into the ground, before turning to the ritual.

"Yes… yes," he murmured, "Its done." Gray weakly looked up, as he saw that the ice had now formed fully into what looked like an exact ice sculpture of Ul.

"Oh, big sister," Frieze muttered, "Soon we will be together again."

"The process is complete, my lord," one of the performers said, "Now what the Ut Resugart need is…"

"A sacrifice," Frieze interrupted, "Life for life."

"Indeed," the performer said, looking at Gray, "Perhaps that boy?" Frieze looked at Gray briefly, before looking back at his subordinate.

"No," Frieze answered, "One life does not equal another. I'd say Ul's life is equal to…. 1… 2…. 3…." He started counting.

"9 lives," he said.

"9 lives, my Lord?" the cultist asked, "What do you…" Then it dawned on him, and all the other subordinates.

"No, please my Lord!" he said, as he tried to move away, only to stumble back. The others did as well.

"No, we beg you!"

"Your services have been appreciated," Frieze said, as he flicked his wrist. In an instant, they were all ice statues. They then started glowing, before shattering. Glowing orbs rose from the shards, and entered into the statue of Ul, which began to glow.

"And now, rise! And let my vengeance be complete!" Frieze roared.

**(beneath the rocks)**

Deliora was now fully exposed, but it was silent. For an instant…

Despite the demon not moving, a deep rumble simmered from within the beast, so great, the ground began to tremor.

**(with Erza)**

Erza had made it back to the beach, and was resting. That was when she felt the rumbling.

"Dear god," she murmured. Natsu's eyes glowed.

**(with Lucy and Happy)**

"Do you feel that?" Lucy asked.

"Aye," Happy answered.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Its not what you think it is," Happy said, lying on Lucy's shoulder.

"Thanks," Lucy said nervously, "But your lying skills aren't the best."

**(with Gray and Frieze)**

Gray was never afraid while facing Frieze, but now that he could feel the demon rise… The fear began to bubble up from deep within.

"You… released it…," he whispered. Frieze looked down at Gray, before looking back at the still glowing sculpture of Ul, not saying anything.

"Don't you realize what you did?!" Gray screamed.

"I am," Frieze answered calmly, "I just don't care."

"How could you not?" Gray said, as he tried to sit up, only for Frieze to lash the ice chains trailing from Lyon, and still attached to Gray, sending him flying back into the ground.

"Ul… your sister, sacrificed herself to defeat it," Gray continued, "I heard what you told me about, but I can tell you for certain… she didn't." He couldn't see Frieze's face, but he could see him tense up.

"You don't know anything," the lord forced out.

"Its true," Gray said, as he looked at Frieze, "I remember…"

_(Flashback)_

"_You know I beat you!" Lyon yelled._

"_There's no way!" Gray responded, "I'm way stronger than you!" The two had just ended another day of training, and were now turning in._

_As they were walking, they past Ul's room. Gray, his curiosity getting the better of him, shot a look in. He could see Ul standing by her desk, holding something._

"I remember seeing her one day, crying over something…"

"_What is that?" Gray asked. Ul whirled around, smiling, but he could see that her eyes had the leftover of tears. She set down what Gray thought was a picture. He looked closely. He saw it was indeed a picture. Gray thought it looked a little like a young Ul. She was hugging a smaller boy next to her._

"_Who's that?" Gray asked._

"_Nothing you need to worry about," Ul said, as she smiled at Gray, and patted him on the head, "Come on, its time for dinner."_

_(End Flashback)_

"She loved you dearly!" Gray said. Frieze remained silent, but Gray could swear he could faintly see the man quivering

"If this conflict is true, then it pained her deeply! She hated the fact that you two were at war! She wanted no more than to make amends!"

"SHUT UP!" Frieze said, as he heaved Gray up, and slammed him back into the ground, "She didn't love me! No one did! And I won't love myself until I have got what I wanted!" He had clearly lost the composure he once had, and was now getting desperate. Gray could actually notice what that he was glowing lightly, red on the right, blue on the left.

"Now live Ul!" Frieze commanded, "LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!"

"You are so loud." Frieze turned, before column of needles emerged from beneath him, knocking him away, and sending him crashing into the rock. As Frieze fell to the ground, the rock crumbled, and buried him, leaving just his hand. The chains that held Gray broke. The young man looked up, and saw Agora limping towards them, holding his side, grinning darkly.

"Loud, and completely foolish," Agora continued, "I find it surprising that you honestly thought this would honestly resurrect Ul? But clearly, your mind is quite one-track." _What is he talking about?_ Gray thought. Agora turned towards the ice sculpture.

"From the get go, my plan was to use the Ust Resugart as a smokescreen," he explained, "My strategy was that you would be so blinded by the chance for revenge, you would pay no heed to the demon as it slowly rose from the abyss." Agora then grinned wickedly.

"And you were such the fool to completely fall for it!" he laughed, before raising his arms, "And now… Deliora will rise! And with its rise, let the work of Zeref be done again!" Soon after, Deliora burst from the side of the rock, as it let out a great roar, letting all on the island know its presence.

But then its body cracked…

And slowly but surely, its body began to fall to pieces.

"What…. what…," Agora stuttered.

"You're the fool Agora," Frieze's voice said. Agora turned, and saw Frieze emerge from the rubble. He yanked his armor off, revealing a bare chest, and long, dark blue pants.

"I knew from the get go that Deliora was your objective," Frieze explained, as he stared Agora down, "But I realized something you didn't, that being that Deliora was already dying."

"What! That's impossible!"

"You'll find its completely possible," Frieze said, he hoisted himself up using Lyon, "You see, the spell my sister cast, kept Deliora alive in that, but the fact that it was alive was a weakness. Over all these years, it life force was eaten away at, as it slowly rotted away until…" He just gestured.

"….there was nothing left by a withered husk," he explained.

"No!" Agora said, as he fell to his knees, "This can't be! I researched everything on this! I did everything I could!"

"Well, clearly it wasn't enough," Frieze said, "And now I could just freeze you, or incinerate you, but…" He held up his finger to Agora.

"Your punishment needs to be _felt_." with that, he flicked his finger, and suddenly, Agora burst into flames. The dark mage screamed, as he wreathed on the ground, before running right off the cliff, into the jungle below.

"Now that is taken care of," Frieze said, "Back to the ritual." The ice continued to glow brighter, as Frieze's face returned to the twisted smile.

"Yes, and now…" Right then, the ice shattered.

"W… wha…," Frieze stuttered, unable to find the right words as he fell to his chest. A light snow fell over the area, as Frieze grabbed it.

"No… no… NO!" he cried, as he stamped his feet, "This can't be it! I will have my vengeance!" He kicked the snow in his rage and frustration, and stamped on it, yelling and screaming, as Gray tried to crawl away.

"You!" Gray looked up, and saw Frieze staring right him, his body glowing menacingly.

"You did this!" he declared, "I will kill you!" He then lunged at Gray, holding a red orb.

Right then, a jet of water hit in the side, and knocked away. And, if only for an instant, Frieze's grip slipped. And in that instant, Lyon slid out of his grasp, and fell to the ground.

"My Prince Gray!" Juvia called.

"Juvia!" Gray cried, as he saw Juvia running up, "The hell are you doing! Get out of here, you'll be hurt!"

"Juvia is here to help!" Juvia explained, "She know's how to defeat Frieze!"

"You do?"

"Yes, what you have to do is…," she began, before, in a sudden instant, she froze solid, still in the same position, and with the same expression.

"JUVIA!" Gray cried, as he turned, and saw Frieze standing up, holding out his left hand out at Juvia.

"After I'm done with you," he declared, "I'm going to shatter her!" Gray cringed, before he saw something

_Lyon! _Gray reached out, and grabbed him.

"Try whatever! I'll still kill you!" Frieze said. Gray just rose to his feet, as he held Lyon at the ready.

"What say we fight again? Eh, Lyon?" he said. The staff of the leopard glowed.

**Note: So now we know Frieze's backstory, his relationship with Ul, and his ultimate motivation. I'm an only child, so this sibling dynamic is likely not all right, I just took what I got from other stories I've read, and anime and TV shows I've watched.**

**I was worried about what I was gong to do with Deliora, so I made up the idea that Agora was actually a follower of Zeref, and his ploy was to raise Deliora. And it seems the Ut Resugart didn't work as well either anyway.**

**Next chapter, we'll see what Gray can do know that he's wielding Lyon.**


	62. A Teacher's Love

_**A Teacher's Love**_

"You think just because you have that worthless stick, you an beat me?!" Frieze yelled, "I don't need it to kill you!" Gray remained silent, as he held Lyon at the ready. He then thrust Lyon's head towards Frieze, channeling his own magic power into Lyon. This created a massive ice snake, with large blades sticking out of it. Frieze waved his hand, turning the snake into water, causing it to splash to the ground. Gray then charged Frieze.

He summoned up a massive pole of ice in his hand, before using it to pole-vault into the air over freeze. He then swung Lyon down, creating a massive blade of ice down on Frieze, who held up his hand, and turned the ice into steam. The steam then rose, and as it encircled Gray, Freeze held up his other hand, creating an ice prison around Gray.

Gray broke free relatively easily, and landed on the ground, facing down his enemy. Frieze snapped his fingers, and the ice melted back down into water. He then looked around at all the ice shards scattered around the area, as a result of the battle. Frieze then took a breath, and held up his arms. The ice then all evaporated, creating a massive cloud of steam that surrounded the entire area.

"What's your game?" Gray muttered. Frieze didn't answer, as he cracked his neck. He then froze some of the land, and then froze steam around his feet to create skates. With that, he started skating at at Gray.

As he approached Gray, who froze some of the steam in mid air, creating a ramp, that launched him into the air. As Frieze soared over Gray, he held up his left hand, freezing the steam to create a massive spear of ice.

Gray summoned up a swarm of ice birds, each with an arrow head where their heads would be. Frieze spun his the spear in his hands, knocking away them all. He then brought the spear down on Gray, who blocked with Lyon, interlocking the two.

"What more is left for you?!" Gray demanded, "Ul's gone! Can't you just move on!"

"No!" Frieze responded, "I refuse to move on! I've come to far to go away empty handed now!" With that, Frieze overpowered Gray, and pushed him back. Gray skidded to a halt, against the ice, as Frieze began skating back towards him. He then held up his right hand, creating an orb of heat, and launching it Gray, who leapt out of the way.

Gray then slammed Lyon's head into the ice, creating a series of cracks that eventually caused the ice to shatter. Frieze lost his footing, and used his hands to balance himself, as he got back to his feet. He then inhaled, and then let out a gust of hot breath. Gray slammed thrust Lyon out, sending out a blast of ice, against Frieze's heat breath.

The two attacks collided, as they competed for supremacy. Eventually, the ice blast won out, and knocked Frieze away, into a tree. As the temperature mage got out, his left hand, which was touching the trunk, froze the tree solid.

"How can you overpower me?" Frieze muttered, "I'm so much stronger than you."

"I can't speak for whether or not you're actually like that in a one on one fight," Gray said, "But you and I never had one. Earlier, you had Lyon at your beck and call. Now, he and I are working together to take you down once and for all. And since Lyon isn't resisting me in anyway, our magic mixes flawlessly." Frieze just growled, as he put his right hand on the ground, before sweeping it up, creating a line of magma, that jetted towards Gray. The ice mage responded by thrusting Lyon's head forward, freezing the lava solid.

Gray then thrust out Lyon's head again, creating an ice floor, which he slid upon, heading towards Frieze, who looked up. Frieze held out his left hand, and created an ice spear out of the still present steam. As Gray approached, Frieze thrust it forward, as Gray caught it against Lyon, before sweeping under, and kicking Frieze in the chin, and knocking the wind clean out of him.

"Ice Make: Chains!" Several ice chains emerged from Lyon's mouth, and wrapped around Frieze's torso. Gray then hoisted Frieze into the air, and slammed into the ground.

"Payback's a bitch," Gray said with a grin, as he did it a second time, and then a third. After the third, the chains shattered.

Frieze rose from the rubble, panting. He looked weak, and he was wounded. It was then Gray noticed something embedded in his skin. It looked like some kind of jewel, that was shaped like a fire inside a snowflake. Gray frowned. If it was embedded in Frieze, then it had to be something of importance.

"I won't lose… I won't lose… I WON'T LOSE!" Frieze roared, as he brought both of his hands together. Red mixed with blue, as hot and cold merged, creating a large orb of swirling red and blue. Gray held up Lyon a the ready to defend, but this attack was different. This one seemed to have far more energy in it.

"DIE" Frieze roared, as he launched his attack at Gray, as the combined hot and cold energy blasted at them. Gray braced himself for the attack, creating a massive wall of ice against it, as he tensed himself, waiting for the attack.

But it never came…

The ice wall fell to the ground, and Gray saw something amazing. It was Ul.

Well, more accurately, it was the ice statue of her, but it had appeared in front of him, and had blocked the attack.

"Sister…," Frieze muttered in shock. The statue then turned to snowflakes, and floated away into the ground.

"Ul," Gray muttered.

"So my sister is willing to protect you, but not willing to face me?!" Frieze roared, "I will burn you!" He then held up his right hand, apparently intending on setting Gray ablaze. However, Gray thought fast. He unleashed the same ice mist from Lyon's mouth, which encompassed Frieze's hand, freezing it.

"What the…," he began, but then Gray appeared over him.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" he said, as he swung down his hammer. On reflex, Frieze rose his hand to melt the attack. He was too slow.

Frieze let out a pained scream, as he fell to the ground, minus one hand. Frieze was on his knees, panting weakly, completely defeated. Gray stood over him, holding Lyon tight.

"You lose," Gray said.

"No please," Frieze begged, "Don't kill me…"

"You've done so much," Gray said, "You tried to unleash Deliora, you spat on the memory of Ul, you turned Lyon and Natsu into tools, and you helped to hurt my friends. I should kill you…" Lyon's eyes glowed.

"Please," Frieze cowered.

"But I won't," Gray said, as he lowered Lyon.

"You… won't?"

"No, no matter what, you're still Ul's brother," Gray said, "And she wouldn't want to me to kill you." With that, he turned around, and started to walk away. As he did, Frieze's apparent fear began to fade, as he rose to his feet slightly. He held out his hand, creating an ice spear. He then sprung at Gray.

"Watch your blind spot!" he roared.

Time slowed down, as Gray turned, and thrust Lyon forward, as Frieze brought down his spear. Lyon's head hit Frieze in the chest, or more accurately, the amulet. The force knocked Frieze back. He looked down at his chest, and saw the amulet crack, before it shattered away.

"No… no… no! No! No!" Frieze roared, as he tried to gather all the pieces of the jewel together. However, as he did, his fingers began to freeze.

"No! This can't be!" Frieze said, as the ice climbed his arm. He looked at his other arm, as ice climbed the stump where his hand once was.

"NO!" Frieze cried, as the ice began to encompass his body, and Gray watched on, with no emotion.

Eventually, only a single eye of Frieze was still unfrozen. As the ice encompassed it, Frieze saw an image. An image of Ul. _Big… sister… _Frieze thought, as the ice fully consumed him, leaving an ice statue. A crack then appeared on Friezes's face, before his body completely shattered.

All that remained of the "great" Lord Frieze, was shards of ice.

"Damn," Gray muttered.

"… break his… What?" Juvia said, as she was unfrozen, looking around, seeing Gray, "Gray!"

"Juvia!" Gray said, "You're alright!"

"Yeah, a little cold though," Juvia said, before springing at Gray, "Warm me up!" Gray sidestepped her.

"Now's not the time," he said, "For now we…" He was interrupted as he suddenly saw Lyon light up. Glowing cracks began to crawl around his body.

**(with Erza)**

Erza noticed something glowing from Natsu's direction. She turned, and noticed that it looked like he was cracking. Initially, she panicked, and tried to grab Natsu, but suddenly, the staff was consumed by a massive flare of light, which Erza had to shield her eyes from.

When the light faded, Erza looked up, and saw Natsu, in human form, lying face down on the ground. He slowly rose to his knees.

"Natsu?" Erza asked.

"In the flesh," Natsu said, as he looked up, with a smile.

**(with Gray and Juvia)**

The light completely consumed Lyon, and Gray and Juvia stepped back. Eventually, the light faded, and a young man, with silver hair, wearing a white jacket was on the ground.

"Lyon? Is that you?" Gray asked. The young man slowly rose to his feet as he turned to Gray.

"What do you think?" Lyon asked with a smirk, which Gray returned. The two then clasped arms in camaraderie.

"How'd this happen?" Juvia asked.

"The Furari Potentia bound me to Frieze's magic power," Lyon explained, "Now that he's dead, and his magic power is gone, then the spell must have disappeared as well." He then turned to look at Juvia, as his face suddenly lit up red.

"Beau… beautiful," he muttered.

"Keep your head on," Gray said, "If that's the case than that must mean Natsu's been freed as well."

"Gray!" Happy and Lucy called as they finally worked their way up to the top.

"Lucy! Happy!" Gray responded, as the group came back together again, now with a new ally.

"What say we got off this rock?" Gray said with a grin.

"All to happy to do that," Lucy said with a nod.

**(down in the jungle)**

The ashes that were once Agora floated away in the wind. As they did, they were approached by a woman: Ultear.

"Ah, Agora," she muttered, "Ever the idiot." She held her hand out, revealing some kind of glowing orb.

"But another key is in our position, so I can't complain," she said. Ultear then looked up at the rock.

"Rest easy, dear Uncle," she sneered, before walking away.

**Note: To explain more about what was going on with Frieze and Gray's fight, what Frieze did was he evaporated all the ice that was left over from earlier battles with Gray, turning it into a steam that covered the area. Frieze then froze it all as he saw necessary. And I hope no one starts bringing up how in scientific reality, "cold" doesn't exist, as it is just the absence of heat. This is a fantasy story, why can Gray create H2O out of thin air?**

**This more or less concludes the Mazina Island arc, and the next chapter will briefly cover their leaving the island. After this, I'm going to do a short arc (probably two chapters at most), about Lucy's relationship with her father.**


	63. Not Heading Home Yet

_**Not Heading Home Yet**_

"Are you sure you never saw this guy before?" Lucy asked.

"At least not that mask," Erza answered, "For all I know, maybe it was actually I guy I've known for a long time, I just couldn't see his face."

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter now," Lucy said. The group, with the addition of a freed Natsu and Lyon, were now sailing away from Mazina Island, as everyone was happy to be done with.

"And we're just leaving all the other dark mages there?" Gray asked.

"Once we get back we'll contact the Magic Council," Erza said, "They'll handle it from there."

"And its not like they can get off the island," Lyon said, "I remember they got to the island through a frozen bridge Frieze made."

Lucy took a breath of relief when hearing that. From what she heard, the major members that were still alive supposedly were Trak and Netja, with Frieze and Agora both being dead.

"So, what was it like being a magic staff?" Happy asked, floating over to where Natsu was by the railing.

"I'm curious about that as well," Lucy said, leaning over. Natsu was silent for a time.

"Imagine being trapped inside your own body," he said, "You can't move or talk, but you can still see, hear, and touch."

"Uh..," Lucy said, not sure how to respond to something like that.

"All in all, not an experience I'd recommend," Natsu said.

"I can vouch for that as well," Lyon said, raising his hand in agreement.

"That sounds pretty scary," Juvia commented. Lyon looked back towards Juvia, as he flashed pink.

"Oh my dear Juvia," Lyon said, as he came up to her, "I am so grateful that the first thing I saw upon my release was your face."

"Technically, wasn't I the first one you saw?" Gray asked. Lyon was ignoring him, and was focusing on trying to woo Juvia.

"Oh, my beloved Gray!" Juvia cried, "Tell me who you love! Is it me, or Lyon?"

"Do you really understand the context of this situation?" Lucy asked her, which Juvia naturally ignored.

"You must join my guild, Lamia Scale!" Lyon proclaimed, "So we be forever together!"

"She's already part of guild!" Gray said.

"We will find a way to bring Juvia to us," Lyon said.

"Yeah, how'd you get that drink?" Gray asked, "The Furari Potentia I got, Natsu just drank by accident."

"Well, what happened was I sitting in a bar, heading back home," Lyon explained, "As I was sitting their, the bar tender, a woman, who later turned out to be Netja, offered me a red drink, which I assumed to be a kind of wine. I sniffed it, and it smelled good, so I drank it. When I got back to my house, I got sick, and next thing I knew, I had turned into a snow leopard. Then, Frieze entered into my house, and pinned me to the ground by neck. After that, my limbs collapsed into my body as it turned into the shaft, and my head turned into the stave's head."

"More or less the same as it happened to me," Natsu said, "I was suddenly turned into a tiny dragon, and then into a stave, only I had wings."

"Aye, I saw," Happy said. Natsu then tugged the cat's ear.

"Yeah, you and I are going to have a talk about you following me."

"Aye…," Happy croaked.

That's too bad," Lucy thought, "I was curious about what Natsu's house was like."

"So was I," Erza admitted with a shrug.

As the group talked calmly, something that they hadn't done for a time, they failed to acknowledge the Masked Man, once again clinging just out of sight on the boat.

**(on the shore)**

Eventually they got back to terra firma, where Lyon took his leave.

"Sure you can't stay?" Gray asked with a grin, "Would be good to catch up."

"Nah," Lyon answered, "I've got to get back to my guild. They're probably all worried about me at this point. Got to reassure that I'm alright."

"That sucks," Gray said, "Nonetheless, good to see you again." He offered a hand, which Lyon clasped.

"Likewise," he said, "Next time we meet, we'll fight. Only I'll beat you this time around."

"Good luck at that Stick Boy," Gray said with a grin, which Lyon returned.

"And I'll be back for you as well, Juvia," Lyon said flashing a wink at Juvia, who scurried to Gray's side, only to get shaken off. With that, Lyon set off down the road.

"What do we do now?" Happy asked, "Do we head back to the guild?"

"Actually, let's spend the night here," Erza said, "I'm sure we're all exhausted, and we deserve a rest before we start the journey home."

"That would be good," Lucy said, as she stretched, "After all we've gone through, a soft bed sounds very enticing."

"Perhaps you and I can share one!" Juvia said, as she grabbed Gray's arm, who tried to push her off, though she proved to have a remarkably strong grip.

"I think there's a nearby inn around here," Erza said, "Let's go."

They headed over to the nearest inn, where, after checking in, and getting her room number, Lucy collapsed on the bed. She got no sleep the last night, and the fight with Netja took a lot out of here. At this point, all she wanted to do was sleep. However, first, she had to take a bath and clean herself up.

As the Celestial Spirit Mage slid into the water, she let out a content sigh.

"Who know a simple quest to get roots would end up the way it did?" she wondered aloud, "I wonder what would have happened if we did get those roots?" She took another sigh, as she put her head under the water to enjoy the warmth. During that time, she failed to the sound of the window slipping open.

**(with Natsu)**

Natsu sat down on the chair in his room, letting out a breath. Never again would he under appreciate the ability to move and speak. That time trapped inside that staff was one he wanted to forget. He stared up at the ceiling, as he thought about his time, and how he was used by Lucy and Erza.

Initially, the idea of being used like some kind of tool was something that he completely balked at. He was a powerful Dragon Slayer, not some magic wand. Nonetheless, Natsu had allowed not only Lucy, but also Erza, to use him for that exact purpose. And they used him fairly well. Their ability to combine their magics with his own to defeat their foes was no doubt no small task.

He wondered why it was those select two that he would have allowed to use him. However, Natsu decided that it was not worth dwelling on. It was in the past, and he didn't have to worry about it anymore. He got ready to take a quick shower before going to sleep, when he suddenly smelled something coming from Lucy's room. Something that shouldn't have been there.

Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Natsu followed his nose down to where Lucy was staying. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door.

"Hey…," he began, before seeing them. Four men in black, wearing masks. Under the arm of one of them was an unconscious Lucy.

"The hell?" Natsu muttered. The men tried to make a break for it, but Natsu was too quick.

**(sometime later)**

"Alright, start talking!" Erza ordered to the beaten and tied up would-be kidnappers, "Why did you try and take Lucy?"

After saving Lucy, Natsu thought it necessary to inform the others. If they were possible in any danger, they had to certainly make sure of it.

"We were just doing what we were paid for!" the apparent leader said, "We're just a group of mercenaries."

"Then who hired you?" Erza asked as she bent down, giving them one of her scary glares.

"Some guy with a weird name!" the man said quickly, trying to avoid looking into Erza's eyes, "All I can remember was it began with an 'H', and his first name began with a 'J'!" That set something off in Lucy.

"Was his name by any means, Jude?" she asked.

"Yeah! That was it!" Lucy recoiled back, as her face turned to one of her concern.

"Wait!" Juvia said, raising her hand in the back, "I just remembered! That was the name of the guy who hired Phantom Lord to get you, Lucy!" Lucy whirled around to face Juvia.

"Are you sure?" she demanded.

"Pretty sure," Juvia answered. Lucy suddenly went silent, as she stared at the ground.

"Something wrong?" Happy asked Lucy. Initially the blonde was silent as she clenched her fists.

"Do we have time to make a quick stop before we get back?" she asked.

"I suppose," Erza answered, "Why?" Lucy looked up, an unreadable expression on her face. Somehow, it looked most unnatural on her face.

"I have to take care of some unfinished business," she said.

**Note: Sorry this was short, but not much was really meant to happen in this chapter, just set up the next, and get them off Mazina Island. I didn't want to divide this into chapters, even though I could have, since those two chapters would be very short.**

**After the next chapter, I intend to start the Oracion Seis arc, and you know who that means will be showing up. Though I could use some ideas for that arc, since its probably going to end up going in a different direction.**


	64. Lucy Heartfilia

_**Lucy Heartfilia**_

"Tell me again why we're doing this," Natsu said, "When we could just as easily be headed back to the guild."

"Because if someone is threatening Lucy," Erza explained, "We have to find out why."

"Its not that," Lucy said, "I know fully why these guys were after me now." She was at the head of the group, which was strange since normally she was trailing at the back.

At the time, they were walking down the road, towards a location Lucy had yet to disclose. Though clearly it was a place of some importance for the blonde. She seemed even more serious than she had been on Mazina Island, and that was saying something.

"This makes me think," Gray said, "Why didn't you or Gajeel ever tell us about why Phantom Lord tried to take Lucy in the fist place?" Juvia let out a yelp. It was doubtful that if anyone else but Gray said that, she still would have yelped.

"Juvia is so sorry!" Juvia cried, "Juvia didn't think it mattered since Phantom Lord was disbanded! So Juvia didn't think she needed to tell you!"

"You shouldn't make those kind of assumptions," Natsu said, "You never know what might happen."

"Juvia will keep that in mind."

"Well, what happened then doesn't matter," Erza said, "What happens now is what matters! Let's keep going!"

As they kept on walking eventually they came upon what seemed like a sizable village of sorts. There were a few houses, of decent size, nothing grand, but nothing shabby, with fences and gardens.

"This place seems nice," Gray said, looking around.

"Maybe you and I should retire here!" Juvia said, as she tried to hug him, only for Gray to dodge.

"I don't think you'd want to do that," Lucy said, "Unless you want to join the servants."

"The servants?" everyone, including Natsu for some reason, echoed.

"Yes, this is the servants residence," Lucy explained, before pointing, "That up there is the actual residence." Up on a hill was a massive mansion, practically a castle. Initially, the Fairy Tail members were silent.

"Is that…," a voice called. The Fairy Tail wizards all turned, and saw a maid emerging from one of the houses.

"Are my ears playing tricks on me?" a butler said as he opened the door of another. Soon, multiple servants appeared, looking at the group.

"Miss Lucy!" they all cried in unison, as they hurried up to the blonde.

"EHHH!" the other wizards screamed, save for Natsu, who just stared in surprise.

"You've come back!" one cook said, "You must eat now!"

"No! First let me clean you up!" another maid said, "You're absolutely filthy! Have you been living under a bridge?"

"No, its fine!" Lucy said, waving her hands, smiling, "But I am glad to see all you again!"

"Welcome home!" all the servants cried out. Lucy continued smiling, as let her memory move on, as she remembered a time before.

_(Flashback)_

_A young Lucy hurried into what looked like a large office. At the end there was a desk, with the chair facing a massive window. Lucy was holding something her hands, as she smiled._

"_Daddy!" she called, running up the desk, "I was thinking you were hungry, so…"_

"_Please go," a firm voice said, "I'm very busy."_

"_But I made you this!" Lucy said, holding up a rice ball, "You can eat it!" She smiled big._

"_I said go!" the man said as he stood up, knocking the rice ball from her hands. Lucy fell to the ground, tears forming in her eyes._

"_But Daddy…," she said._

"_Leave!" her father instructed. Lucy got up, crying, as she hurried away. As the door slammed behind her, Lucy looked back, still crying._

"_But today was my birthday," she said through her tears._

_(End Flashback)_

Lucy was broken from her memory, when Erza came up to her, and grabbed Lucy's shoulders.

"You mean all this time you've been a princess?" she demanded.

"Actually…," Lucy began, before Erza fell to a knee.

"We are at your service!" she said.

"Why are you always lamenting about rent when you were this rich?" Gray asked.

"Oh Gray!" Juvia said, "Please don't tell me you'd rather be with this rich bimbo than me?!"

"Can't you read a situation?" Gray responded.

Happy floated up to Lucy, as he nestled into her arms, purring.

"I'm cute aren't I?" he asked, "Cute enough for a lifetime supply of fish?" Lucy just dropped Happy, as she looked at Natsu. He was just staring at her.

"Where's my father?" Lucy asked the servants. The servants exchanged glances.

"In the mansion, in his study." Lucy nodded.

"I've got to settle things with him," she said.

"That's all good," a maid said, "But if you're going to do that, then you must be properly dressed. Your other servants can stay here."

"We aren't her servants!" Gray and Happy yelled together.

**(in the mansion)**

Lucy, now dressed in an intricate red dress, with her hair done up, stood before the door of her father's office.

"Good luck, my dear," one of her tutors said. Lucy nodded in response, before opening the door.

There he was, her father, Jude Heartfilia, sitting at his desk, a few papers in front of him. He looked up at his daughter.

"Hello, Father," Lucy said, as she approached his desk. Her father just stared at her.

"I'm sorry I just left without a word," she said, "I understand I should have left some kind of note."

"Yes, yes you should of," Jude said, as he turned back to his work, "Well, you're back now, so it doesn't matter."

"Actually…," Lucy began.

"That's good," Jude said, as he set one document aside, and started working on another one, "Now we'll proceed with the expected plan."

"Plan?" Lucy asked.

"You will marry the son of some kind of noble," Jude continued, "With that, we will be able to properly expand the Heartfilia Railways." Lucy clenched her fist. He hadn't changed at all.

"And of course it will be ideal for you to have a son, so as to produce a proper heir," Jude said, barely even looking as his daughter, "And…"

"You're misunderstanding me," Lucy interrupted. Jude's eyes shot up to meet his daughter's. No one had ever tried to interrupt him before, much less his daughter.

"I haven't come back," Lucy said, "Not even close actually. I just came to tell you something: I'm leaving, and that is that." Jude stared at her in surprise, as he stood up to face her.

"As of now I will no longer be known as 'Lucky Lucy Heartfilia'!" Lucy declared firmly, and with that, she literally tore off her dress, "I'll just be known as Lucy!" Her father was perfectly silent, but his appalled eyes did all the talking.

"I'm hereby deciding my own path!" Lucy continued, as she stepped out of the shreds, "And I want you to heed this warning: if you come near Fairy Tail again, you will be making an enemy of them, something you don't want to happen. And you've done too much to make amends!" She then grabbed the string of jewels around her neck, and tore them off.

"I don't need all these fancy clothes and jewels!" she said, "All I want is respected, and cared for as a person, not as some financial piece of equipment! And Fairy Tail gives me exactly that!"

There was a period of silence between father and daughter, before Lucy turned on her heel, and marched straight out, only looking back once at her stunned father.

"Just know that if Mother were still alive, she'd tell me to follow my heart!"

**(outside the mansion)**

Lucy lay a rose she picked out of the garden on the grave that read _Layla Heartfilia_, before standing back up.

"Thanks, Mom," she said with a smile.

"Lucy!" she heard people call. Lucy turned, and saw her guild mates, minus Natsu, running up to her. Happy flew into her arms, crying.

"Don't leave us!" he cried, "I know this is nice, but I can try and make everything just as nice too!" Lucy just hugged Happy.

"Don't worry, little guy," she said, "I'm not going anywhere."

"That's good to know," Gray said, with a thumbs up, "Fairy Tail at this point wouldn't be the same without you." And for once, Juvia didn't swoon over Gray, she just smiled at Lucy, and also gave a thumbs up. Erza came up, and put Lucy's hand on her shoulder.

"Just know that we don't care about who you were," she said, "All that matters to us, is who you are now, and who you will be."

"Thanks Erza," Lucy said with a smile. Erza teared up comically, before bringing Lucy's head in for a hug, banging it against the armor.

"You're so sweet," she said.

"Tha… Thank you," Lucy said, trying to recover from just having her head smashed into solid armor.

**(in Jude's office)**

Jude watched them form his window in silence, he took a breath, shaking his head.

"Oh Layla," he said, "That girl is becoming more like you every minute. All the trouble, twice the heart." However, the man knew there was nothing he could do. Like his beloved wife, trying to stop his daughter was like trying to stop one of his trains. Once its moving, nothing can stop it. With that, he tried to turn his attention to his work, when he saw someone standing on his desk.

"How'd you..," Jude began.

"How I got in doesn't matter," Natsu said, "Especially seeing as I'm already in here." Jude tried to glare Natsu down. No robber was going to intimidate him.

"What do you want, money?" he asked.

"Just to tell you something," Natsu said, before bending down, looking Jude straight in the eye, "That girl has done more for me than I can ever repay. Just recently she went out of my way to try and help me while I had practically nothing. And if you ever do anything to bring her pain, emotional or physical…" He then stood straight up, and an image of a dragon appeared behind him. Jude lost his balance, and fell on his ass.

"You're going to have to deal with me." Natsu then jumped down, walked to the window, opened it, and jumped out.

Jude put his hand on his chest to try and calm his breathing, he looked behind him, and saw the group, including Natsu, heading out.

"At least she'll be safe," he muttered.

**Note: I hope this was good. I wasn't sure how to do this properly, so I used my best judgement on how it could go. So in the end, I hope it went well.**

**Coming up next is the Oracion Seis arc, and I could still use some idea in regards to that. This may take more time, since I'm not sure what to do. I may take a break, not a hiatus, just not as fast update.**


	65. Balam Alliance

_**Balam Alliance**_

"My uncle's death is no doubt going to cause some ripples," Ultear said, as she looked at her orb, looking back on the battle between Gray and Frieze, "Already other mages are vying for his position."

"Frieze was just a delusional pawn," a shadowed man said from behind her, "When all is said and done, his fall won't be of much consequence."

"Of course, Master," Ultra said, turning to face the man, "Though this could prove inconvenient for us, especially with Oracion Seis making its move."

"What of those short-sighted idiots?" the Master asked.

"Surely they understand what their actions will summon," Ultear said, "Can we really afford such an act?"

"It doesn't matter. Let Oracion Seis do what it will. Let them do what wish; they will reap both the benefits, and the punishments."

**(in Magnolia)**

Lucy yawned, as she climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she headed for the bathroom. It had been two weeks since the incident at Mazina Island, and Lucy was thinking it was about time she maybe got back on the job.

After taking a bath, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed, she headed towards the guild, strolling along the edge of the canal.

"Be careful Ms. Lucy!" a boater called as he floated past.

"I will be!" Lucy answered. As she was walking, she couldn't help but think about Natsu. After the whole fiasco with being turned into a magic staff, Natsu became ever so slightly open with the guild. Though he wasn't as if he'd join in on the celebration, or go talking with people, he had been spending more time at the guild, and on occasion, would sit with others. Lucy smiled at that. It was good to see Natsu opening up to people more.

As she arrived at the guild hall, she was waved over by Erza, who was sitting with the others, at their table.

"What's up?" Lucy greeted.

"I'm glad you're here," Erza said, "The Master was going to make an announcement."

"What kind of announcement?" Lucy inquired.

"Well, apparently Frieze wasn't some random dark mage," Gray explained, "He was the lord of an alliance of dark guilds. In addition, his studies in bringing the dead back to life caused the Magic Council quite a bit of trouble. Apparently 'Lord Frieze' was more than just some flashy title."

"An 'alliance of dark guilds'?" Lucy echoed, "Those exist?"

"Unfortunately," Erza explained, "In fact, dark guilds go beyond alliances. More powerful ones have less powerful ones as vassals. Some individual dark mages are even strong enough to gain the servitude of dark guilds. Frieze was one of them."

"I've actually had a few run-ins with Frieze during my time with the Tri-Blades," Xinglong said, as he walked up, "Magic capability aside, Frieze was quite powerful. I remember entire towns being under his control." He narrowed his eyes, as he waved his finger around, creating a glowing series of waves.

"Don't be mistaken," he said, "Frieze was not a man most would dare trifle with."

"Yikes," Lucy said, "Then its a good thing Gray beat him."

"Indeed it is," Erza said.

"Don't be so sure," Natsu said, as he strolled up.

"You're here?" Happy asked.

"I'm standing in front of you, aren't I?" Natsu responded.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, "Isn't a good that a powerful magic warlord was killed?"

"In the short run, maybe," Natsu answered, "But think about it. The death of Frieze leaves an empty spot in the hierarchy, meaning the hyenas will start going after the scraps of his dominion. No doubt many of the dark guilds will be on the move." Lucy cringed at that.

"Do you have to ruin a victory for us?" Gray asked sarcastically.

"I'm merely stating the truth," Natsu answered with a shrug, "We can't let a victory cloud our judgement."

Lucy thought about that. She figured that was sound judgement on Natsu's part, so she couldn't fault him for that. Their attention was then drawn to the voice of the Master.

"Attention!" Makarov said, jumping onto the bar, "Direct your attention here!" He then pointed up, as a massive chart lit up.

"What's this?" Lucy asked, as she walked up to look at it.

"A chart of all the dark guilds," Mirajane answered, as she walked up next to Lucy, folding her arms. Lucy looked over the guilds, noting names like "Hell Shadow" and "Terror Tower". A section was glowing blue, with the name "Frieze" hovering over them.

"Those must be the guilds under Frieze's control," Lucy said.

"More like former control," Lisanna responded, as she came up next to her sister, "Natsu was right when he said that Frieze's death is causing chaos in the dark guild union." Lucy followed the lines, as they all converged in the center, with three guilds in the center: Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartarus. Above said the "Balam Alliance".

"What's the Balam Alliance?" Lucy asked.

"Exactly what it looks like," Mirajane answered.

"Its an alliance of the most powerful dark guilds in Fiore," Lisanna explained, "Frieze was under the dominion of Grimoire Heart, but now a good many of the guilds under this rule have fallen to the rule of Oracion Seis."

"Juvia remembers taking down a lot of dark guilds with Gajeel, while they were members of Phantom Lord," Juvia said, "Many of them were under the rule of Oracion Seis."

"That doesn't sound good," Lucy said, shivering slightly. The thought about an organization that could have that much power didn't sit well with the blonde.

"Don't get too nervous," Macao piped up from his table.

"Yeah, Oracion Seis only has six members," Wakaba said, "They can't be that bad."

"Don't make assumptions like that," Freed said, as he seemed to materialize next to them, giving the men a surprise, "They may only be six members, but each one of those six are quite powerful."

Makarov folded this arms as he looked over his guild, narrowing his eyes.

"The time has come for the era of Oracion Seis to come to an end," he said, "With the defeat of Lord Frieze, they have come out of hiding, and are ripe for annihilation."

"How are we going to do that?" Natsu asked.

"An alliance is being formed," Makarov explained, "An alliance that consists of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Cait Shelter."

"That seems like a good combination," Erza commented.

"Lamia Scale?" Gray muttered, "Isn't that…"

"Representing Fairy Tail will be the following members: Natsu…"

"Makes sense," Natsu said with a shrug.

"Erza…"

"Good, I've been looking for something to do," Erza said, as she summoned up a sword, and spun it through her head.

"Gray…"

"Whatever," Gray said.

"Juvia…"

"My love, we will be together in this mission!" Juvia swooned.

"…and Lucy."

"Me?" Lucy asked pointing to herself, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Don't sell yourself short," Lisanna said, with a smile, "You're probably stronger than you think."

"But going against one of the strongest dark guilds?" Lucy said nervously, "I don't know if that's good."

"You're Celestial Spirits can offer a battle option that others may not be able to supply," Makarov explained.

"O… okay," Lucy said nervously.

"Now!" Makarov said, "Let us prepare to bring forth justice to Oracion Seis!"

**Note: Not much to this chapter. Just to introduce the notion of the Oracion Seis, and what the plan. Next chapter will probably introduce the other guilds. I'm still not entirely sure what to do with this arc though.**


	66. Allied Forces

_**Allied Forces**_

In one of the more isolated regions of northern Fiore, there was a massive forest, known as the Worth Woodsea. Few people and the courage to try and penetrate into the forest; it was dense, and dark. There was something within the Woodsea, something evil.

But one thing stood out: the darkness. Looming over the center of the Woodsea, was a strange darkness, floating like a mist.

Standing atop a large cliff, over looking the forest, were six individuals.

"Can you hear it?" one red haired man asked. Coiled around him was a massive purple snake.

"The sound of light falling?" he sneered.

"Don't get over zealous, Cobra," another man standing behind him said, "If we're going to do this, we're going to have to be fast."

"Come now, Racer," the red haired guy, Cobra, answered, "Our objective is right before us. I know it is true."

"That ancient power to turn light to dark! Oh yeah!"

"The power of Nirvana."

*Snore

"The time is upon us," the man at the head said, as he tighten his grip on his staff, "We will unleash there power right now."

"Are you sure about this?" the guy named Racer asked, "How can we be so sure about this?"

"Look before you," the staff carrying man answered, pointing, "The forest is dying. That darkness can only come from one source. Nirvana."

**(on the outskirts of the Worth Woodsea)**

Lucy looked around at the mansion that the alliance was supposed to arrange in. It was actually quite nice, which didn't fit the fact they were all about to plunge into probably the most dangerous mission they'd ever take.

"The plan is for us to wait here when the other guilds arrive," Erza said.

"That sounds boring!" Happy said.

"Why did you come here again?" Lucy asked, looking down at Happy.

"Would you believe I had him come?" Natsu said, as he came up.

"No, I wouldn't," Lucy answered, "Why would _you _of all people, have Happy come?"

"Because he's small, quick, and quiet, when he needs to be," Natsu explains, "He'll be able to scout out ahead." Lucy didn't buy that one bit. But she figured that Natsu quite possibly wanted the company, weird as it may have sounded.

"Well, I"m here!" Happy said, putting his paws on his hips, "So you'll have to just deal with it!"

"You know, a little blue cat doesn't have much weight when he says that," Lucy said with a sweat drop.

"Though Happy is correct in the sense that just waiting for them is boring," Gray said, "Isn't their anything to do while we wait?" Suddenly, a stream of water slithered up to where Gray was.

"You and I can spend our time together!" Juvia cried, as she coiled around Gray like a snake.

"Will you get off!" Gray demanded. But something was strange. He didn't regret saying what he did, which no doubt was what summoned the Water Mage.

"Calm down," Erza said, "We need to give a good impression for these other guilds."

"What are those guilds, again?" Juvia asked, not uncoiling from Gray.

"Well, for starters, there's Lamia Scale," Natsu said.

"Isn't that that Lyon guy's guild?" Happy asked.

"The guy that got cursed by the Furari Potentia?" Lucy asked, "Yeah, I think that was his guild. And I think the other guild was something called 'Cait Shelter'?"

"I've heard about them," Gray said, trying to ignore Juvia, "Though I can't say I know much about them."

"Not much is known about them in general," Erza commented, "All I do know, is that its fairly small. But if its being added onto this alliance, it must be decently strong."

"Then that just leaves…," Lucy began, only to be abruptly silenced when all the lights lit up.

"The hell?" Natsu said, as he instinctively took a battle position. Then a spotlight, which Lucy couldn't determine the location of, shot down, revealing three figures.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail!" the three figures said in unison. The members of said guild just stared.

"I repeat, the hell?" Natsu said, as he lowered his fists.

"We are….," the guy in the middle began.

"…the Blue Pegasus…," the smaller guy on the left continued.

"… elite team," the last guy on the right finished.

"The Trimens!" they all said in unison.

"Hundred Night Hibiki Lates!" the man with spiky, dirty blonde hair said.

"Holy Night Eve Tearm!" the young man with smooth blonde hair said.

"Silent Night Ren Akatsuki!" the man with black hair said.

The trio took a proud pose, in their full glory.

"The Trimens of Blue Pegasus?" Lucy said, blushing slightly, "That's so cool! They're like the highest rated mages in Sorcerer's Weekly!" Natsu just rolled his eyes.

"Being highly rated in a magazine probably won't help us on this mission," he said. The Dragon Slayer then looked over the Trimens. Nothing too impressive, but maybe there was something Natsu was missing. If there was anything his recent experiences had taught him, it wasn't to judge a proverbial book by its cover.

Erza quickly scanned the Trimens, trying to get a read on them. That proved relatively easily, as people like them were very single minded. Of course, Erza knew better than to underestimate them. Their reputation when beyond their status in the magazines.

"Please come with us!" Hibiki said, as he took Erza's hand, and lead her over to a couch that seemed to appear straight out of nowhere. Eve quickly brought over a table with a bottle of champagne.

"Would you care for a drink, or something to eat?" Hibiki inquired.

"No, I'm fine," Erza answered.

"Well this is kind of weird," Lucy said.

"It is a tad bizarre," Juvia agreed, as she came up next to Lucy, finally uncoiling from Gray.

"Would you fine ladies take a seat?" Ren said as he appeared behind the two women, putting their hands on their waists, sending a shiver down the spines of both of them.

"This is getting a little bizarre," Gray commented from the background.

"Finally some common ground between us," Natsu agreed, standing next to him.

"Its good to meet you face to face," Erza said to Eve, "Its important to know who you're allies are." Eve flushed red.

"Your beauty is unbelievable," he said, to Erza's surprise, "Please tell me this is not a dream, for I have long wished to gaze upon you!"

Meanwhile, Ren had escorted Lucy and Juvia to the table, where he poured them both drinks. The two girls exchanged confused glances, not entirely sure what to do in this situation.

"You can have them you want, but I didn't make them for you," Ren said in what obviously false coldness.

_What's with these guys?_ Lucy thought to herself.

The Trimens then assembled before the three women, the men and the cat still in the background, unnoticed.

"If you so desire, please stay the night!" they said in unison. The girls just sweat dropped in their own unison.

"Now, now men," a new voice said, "You must give these poor ladies breathing room!" All eyes went to the stares.

"What's with that voice?" Lucy said, shivering slightly, "Its so smooth."

"I feel like its causing ripples in my body," Juvia said, a feeling she didn't like in the least.

"Yes, teacher!" Ren said.

"Ichiya?" Erza said, as a look of pure dread appeared on her face, "Oh dear…"

"Its been far too long my dear Ms. Scarlet," the man, Ichiya apparently, said.

"It has been a while," Erza said shakily, "Though I can't say I expected to see you here."

"Oh yes! But you need not cry, my honey! For now, I am here!" A short man, with chiseled features, and a large head with spiky orange hair dropped down, and took a pose.

"Men," he murmured.

"My honey!" Happy and Lucy cried out together.

Erza was now shaking, now completely terrified.

"She's shaking?!" Lucy asked.

"Aye, she is!" Happy answered.

Ichiya then slid down the stairs to meet with the others.

"It is a surprise!" he said.

"A surprise!" the Trimen echoed.

"A reunion!"

"A reunion!"

"Our two hearts are one again!" Ichiya said as he landed on the floor.

"We are so sorry, Master!" the Trimen said, "We didn't know she was your girlfriend!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!" Erza screamed.

"Come now boys we have work to do!" Ichiya said, ignoring Erza's outburst, "Put this junk away!"

"Yes boss!"

"Boss?" Lucy asked, "Isn't that the third thing they've called him?"

"They're a bunch of weirdos!" Happy chimed in.

"Sniff! Sniff!" Ichiya said, "Yes, what a sweet parfume!" He then pointed at Juvia.

"Your parfume truly is exemplary, Ms. Juvia," he said. Juvia responded by melting into a puddle, and moving behind Gray.

"As is yours, Ms. Lucy!" Lucy started to shiver, like Erza.

"This guy's creeping me out," she said.

"And for a good cause," Erza said as she took a step back, "Not a man I seek the company of, but he's skilled, and having him on our side is a good thing."

"Listen up you playboys!" Gray abruptly said. Everyone turned, and saw him and Natsu standing straight, facing them.

"We're only going to say this once!" Gray continued, "Leave our guild mates alone. Because if you don't…" Natsu held out his hand, cloaking it in his magic.

"I presume that's clear?" Gray asked.

"Transparently," Ichiya answered, not apparently intimidated, "And now if you two would take your leave…" That made Gray angry, but for Natsu…

"Thank you for dropping by," the Trimen said, bowing slightly. That set Natsu off. He wasn't going to let these snobs talk down to him. He took a step forward.

"Can I share with you a saying?" he asked the members of Blue Pegasus.

"By all means," Ichiya responded, frowning.

"Never laugh at a live dragon," Natsu hissed, his aura flaring up. That got the Trimen to back off, and even Ichiya flinched slightly.

"Calm down," Erza said, putting her hand on Natsu's shoulder, "We'll get nowhere if we start turning on each other." Natsu glared at the Pegasi one final time, before stepping back. Erza then turned to them.

"As for you," she said, "Antagonizing Natsu is about as advisable as jumping into a fire. You'd do well to remember that."

"Oh my dear!" Ichiya said, springing forward.

"Oh crap."

"You're parfume has such bravery to it!" Ichiya said, "Sniff! Sniff! It truly is destiny that…" He was abruptly silenced when a fist sent him flying.

"You stay far away from me you little goblin!" Erza roared.

"Men!" Ichiya moaned, as he was sent flying away.

"Now that's what I call a punch!" Lucy said in shock. The Trimen watched in shock as their teacher/master/boss flew away.

"Men!" Ichiya was suddenly stopped, when a hand caught his head; and promptly froze it.

"We come all this way, and this is the greeting we get?"

"Wait a minute," Gray said, turning around. Juvia reformed.

"Is that who I think it is?" she asked.

"It saddens me that you don't seem to remember me, my beloved Juvia," Lyon said, as he stepped forward. He then tossed Ichiya aside.

"Men!" Ichiya landed, where the ice holding him shattered.

"Lyon?" Gray asked, stepping forward, "You're part of this?"

"Any reason why I shouldn't be?" Lyon asked.

"Well, considering that you only recently got cursed…"

"Don't forget the same thing happened to me," Natsu said, stepping up, "And yet here I stand."

_You two are on a completely different level_ Gray thought, but decided not to say out loud. Natsu and Lyon shook hands. During the trip back to land, after the incident with Frieze, the two had managed to form a bond over their mutual experience as staffs.

"You're looking well," Lyon said. Natsu nodded his thanks.

"As are you," he said, "Are you the only one coming from your guild?"

"Far from it," Lyon said, looking behind him. Coming into the building, was a young women, about Lucy's age, with long magenta hair, wearing pink.

"Love is what will win this battle," the woman said, "So that is why I had to come!"

"This is Sherry," Lyon said.

"Hi!" Lucy said, waving, trying to be polite. Sherry gave her the once over, before huffing.

"You clearly aren't worth my time," she said.

"Way to make a first impression," Lucy said, with a frown. Sherry glared at her.

"What are you implying?" she asked.

"Take a wild guess," Lucy said with a glare, and her hands on her hips.

Meanwhile, Ichiya had regained consciousness, much to Erza's dismay. The scarlet haired women had summoned one of her longest spears, and was trying to hold Ichiya at a distance.

"You stay as far away from me as humanly possible!" she ordered.

"But my dear, your parfume is so hypnotic!" Ichiya said, as he tried to approach, only to get knocked down.

Natsu rolled his eyes at the antics. He then looked at the Trimen who were glaring at him.

"You know I have ears, so if you have a problem, say it!" Natsu said.

"Oh I think that bridge has been forded," Ren said.

"Yes, when you got on your high horse," Natsu said.

The atmosphere grew suddenly tense, as if a fight were about to break out. Then the atmosphere evaporated, when a staff was banged on the ground.

"Enough!" a commanding voice ordered. Everyone turned, and saw a tall man in some kind of priestly clothing standing before them. He was carrying a large staff with a sphere on the top. Everyone knew who that man was, and they stopped accordingly.

"We are here to end a great threat, and yet you all fight pettily amongst each other!" Jura, the Wizard Saint said firmly.

"Way to show up, Jura," Lyon said with a smirk.

"So that's Jura?" Erza muttered.

"One of the strongest in all of Fiore," Hibiki noted, with a frown, "Iron Rock Jura."

Natsu remained silent, as he studied the man. He was pretty confident initially that he would manage to defeat everyone in the alliance. That feeling was gone. This Jura seemed strong enough to beat him, something that was not common.

"He must be a big deal!" Lucy said.

"I see that Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus sent four members whereas Lamia Scale sent three," Sherry said smugly, "What does that say?" Lucy fumed at her.

"What about me?" Happy lamented.

"Don't forget Cait Shelter," Jura said, "They are the only ones remaining."

"Yes, and about them," Ichiya said, "I hear their only sending one."

"Only one?" Erza said.

"Is that really a good idea?" Eve asked, "Don't we need all the help we can get?"

"Just one?" Lucy muttered, "Then this guy must be tough!"

As if on cue, there was a soft grunt, and a thud. Everyone turned, and saw a blue haired girl lying on the floor. The alliance stared as the girl got to her feet.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl said, "I didn't mean to the late! My name is Wendy Marvel, and I'm from Cait Shelter!" That caught everyone off guard.

"A kid?" Lucy said.

"Just a little girl?" Lyon asked.

"Wendy," Natsu muttered.

**Note: I know that like Lucy, NONE of you will buy Natsu's reasons for bringing Happy along. But I honestly couldn't think of a better reason.**

**This chapter was long, and to be honest, long chapters aren't my style. I like to space things out, since it helps me keep my thoughts in order. That said, I hope did the scenes justice, and we finally meet Wendy. Next chapter we'll see more of her.**

**I also finished the first chapter of "Eye of the Fire Dragon", and I'm currently working on the second. I could use some help so that I don't make it a carbon copy of canon.**


	67. Wendy Marvel

_**Wendy Marvel**_

The whole group was staring at the child, identified as Wendy Marvel, who said that she was the representative of the Cait Shelter guild. No one could believe that she was the one who was supposed to help them achieve their goal in defeating a powerful dark guild.

"She's a kid!" Juvia said.

"What's a little girl doing here?" Lyon asked.

"Is the Cait Shelter serious?" Gray muttered.

Natsu remained silent, as he studied Wendy closely. Nothing really stood out about her, she seemed to be a normal girl, but there was something Natsu could sense about her that wasn't normal. He couldn't put his claw on it, but it was definitely there.

"She's certainly not manly," Ichiya said, under Erza's boot.

"Implying that she needs to be?" Erza responded.

"Wendy Marvel, eh?" Eve muttered.

"She's cute," Ren said.

"Very cute," Hibiki mused, rubbing his chin with a grin.

"And a little girl," Lucy said, "Don't be creepers."

"Very well," Jura said, "With everyone present, we can now begin!"

"Yes' not even phased?" Gray said.

"Why would Cait Shelter send a little girl to this?" Sherry said, "They must be really stretched for members if she's alone."

"Hey, be nice," Lucy said.

"She's not alone!" a new voice said. Everyone looked down, and saw something they would've never expected trotting up: a white cat in a dress. Happy cried out in surprise.

"Is that…," Juvia asked.

"Its the same as Happy," Natsu said.

"Charle?" Wendy asked, "You came to?"

"Of course I did, child!" Charle answered, waving her paw, "You can't expect me to let you go out on your own just like that?"

"Hello Ms. Kitty!" the Trimen said.

"Would you guys flirt with a female beetle?" Lucy asked.

Charle looked over, and saw Happy staring at her. Happy just stared in complete awe, before his eyes turned to hearts, as he swooned. However, Charle let out a "hmph" and turned away, much to Happy's disappointment.

"Lucy?" he called, tugging on her leg. The blonde looked down.

"Can you please tell her I'm not neutered?" Happy asked nervously.

"Well if you keep staring up my skirt, you will be," Lucy said with a scowl. She noticed how lovestruck Happy seemed to be, so she decided to do some payback.

"You liiike her," Lucy said tauntingly.

"Shut up!" Happy cried, "Its creepy when you do it!"

"Sorry I'm not what you expected," Wendy said shyly, "I know I don't look like very much, and really I'm not, but I've got all sorts of support magic! So please don't send me home!" Everyone just stared at her in surprise.

"You have to be confident!" Charle said, "Its the only way to earn their respect!"

"I'm sorry, Charle!" Wendy lamented.

"No, we should be sorry," Erza said with a smile as she approached, "You just caught us off guard, but rest assured, you're welcome to join us, Wendy."

"You're Erza Scarlet, right?" Wendy asked, smiling, "I heard about you."

"That's right I am," Erza said, "The others in my guild are Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, and Natsu Dragonia."

"Natsu Dragonia?" Wendy muttered, as she looked over to Natsu, who just glanced back at her. Now Natsu actually wasn't trying to intimidate, but Wendy still let out a cry, and tried to hide behind Charle.

"Have some courage!" Charle scolded.

"What's with her?" Natsu asked.

"You're scary, accept it," Eve said.

"Don't forget to introduce me, Erza!" Happy said, as he jumped onto Erza's shoulder. She chuckled slightly.

"Of course, and this is Happy."

"Wow, he's the same as you, Charle!" Wendy said, standing up.

"I'd hardly say that," Charle said, turning her nose up at Happy.

Happy launched himself off Erza's shoulder, and before he hit the ground head first, Juvia managed to catch him.

"Ooh, this is love!" Happy cried.

"Yes, unrequited love is a magnificent thing," Juvia said as she hugged Happy.

"Interesting thing to bond over," Lucy said with a sweat drop.

"That girl's going to be gorgeous when she's a grown up!" Ren said.

"Hibiki's not waiting," Eve said.

"How about we sit down together," Hibiki said, approaching a dismayed Wendy.

"What did I say!" Lucy snapped.

On the side, Jura and Ichiya watched.

"That girl's parfume is strange," Ichiya noted.

"So you've noticed it as well," Jura said, "There is something about her power that sets her apart, and I think Ms. Erza and Mr. Natsu have also noticed it."

Back over with the Trimen and Wendy, the Trimen were going about their well meaning, but misguided, schtick.

"Please, have this," Eve said, offering Wendy a drink.

"You are easily the cutest girl I've seen in a while," Ren said. Wendy just cried out, really not sure what to do. During this, Natsu watched her closely.

"Don't do that," Gray said, "You like a snake sizing up a tasty looking mouse." Natsu ignored that comment.

"I don't know why, but there's something about that girl," he said, "Something that seems familiar."

"Familiar?" Gray echoed, "Do you know her from somewhere?"

"No," Natsu answered, "But I still can't shake the feeling."

"Will you all clean this mess up!" Ichiya ordered, "We must begin! Men!"

"Yes Master!" the Trimen said as they quickly filed out with the couch and table.

"I can't tell whether they're smart or stupid," Lucy said.

"I'd go with the latter," Natsu said.

"Figures you'd say that," Lucy commented.

"Now that all's said and done," Ichiya said, "We must begin our mission. But first we must determine the location of our foes." There was a silence before Ichiya shuffled away.

"Right after I complete another mission," he said.

"That's a somewhat disturbing way to put it," Juvia said.

"Actually I can think of several worse ones," Lucy said, making a face.

**(somewhere in the shadows)**

"Piri! Piri!"

**(later)**

"Now that that's settled," Ichiya said, "Let's go over our plan of attack. Out in the Worth Woodsea, exist the ruins of an ancient civilization, who sealed a great magic, known as Nirvana!"

"Nirvana?" Lucy asked.

"Can't say I heard of it," Lyon said.

"Have you, Jura?" Sherry asked.

"Only its name," Jura answered.

"We really don't much about its name," Ren said," and that its supremely powerful."

"And that its something the Oracion Seis will kill for," Eve said.

"This doesn't sound good," Lucy said nervously.

"I think I may know a little about it," Natsu said. All eyes were instantly on him.

"The dragon that raised me one mentioned it," Natsu explained.

"That's right," Jura said, briefly tightening the grip on his staff, "I heard you were raised by the Wyrm of the Apocalypse." A brief chill passed through the room, as everyone, save Natsu's guild mates, stared at him. Wendy looked up less in fear, but more in awe.

"Not the way I would put it, but yes," Natsu answered.

"You raised by one of those vile serpents?" Ichiya inquired. Natsu, and strangely enough, Wendy, shot him a glare.

"One of said 'vile serpents', did tell me of Nirvana," Natsu said.

"Care to share what it was?" Erza asked.

"Honestly, it wasn't very much," Natsu explained, "Acnologia didn't talk much about dark magic, since it didn't really hold his interest. However, he did briefly mention the name 'Nirvana'. He said it had true power over light, dark, and everything in between. I don't remember much after that."

"Well, its better than nothing," Hibiki said, "Which is why they came here."

"So we must destroy the Oracion Seis!" Blue Pegasus said in unison, taking a pose.

"Is the posing some kind of magic I'm missing?" Lucy asked.

"If it were, they'd be world class mages," Erza answered. Hibiki snapped his fingers, as a magic screen lit up beside him.

"Archive Magic," Jura noted, "That's not something you see everyday."

"What good is it though?" Sherry asked.

"Take a look," Hibiki answered, as several pictures lit up, "These are the members of the Oracion Seis!"

The first picture magnified, showing a man with wine-colored hair, and a massive purple snake.

"First we have Cobra, and his snake."

"I'm not a fan of animal motifs," Natsu said.

"Says the guy who screams dragon at every turn," Lucy said.

"Next, there's Racer, whose renowned for his speed, as his name my imply." The second picture lit up, showing a thin man with a blonde mohawk, sunglasses, and a long pointed nose.

"That guy looks like tons of fun," Gray commented.

"Immensely," Lyon agreed.

"In third we have the man whose willing to do anything for money, Hoteye." A picture of a tall man with a blocky face, and long orange hair appeared.

"A man who kills for the right price?" Sherry asked.

"Men who disregard their morals for the sake of wealth, it makes my blood boil," Jura growled.

"In fourth, there's Angel, whose beauty is only belied by her cruelty." A girl with white hair, styled in the fashion of a halo, with a feathery coat, lit up.

"So we've got the typical pretty but evil girl," Lucy said, "This is starting to all come together."

"Next, we got this Midnight guy, who we really don't know anything about." There was an image of a young man with black hair, sitting on a floating carpet, asleep.

"Strange name," Erza said, "But it probably has something to do with his power."

"Lastly, there's the guild leader, just known as Brain," Hibiki finished, as the image of a tattooed man carrying a skull staff appeared, "And that's everyone. We may have more than twice their members, but they've easily defeated worse odds."

"Question?" a shaking Lucy asked, "Can one of us stay behind and watch the base?"

"Maybe two?" a shaking Wendy piped up.

"Now your lack of courage is spreading!" Charle said.

"Since we're not being counted, maybe we can go and find some nice allies with some nice trash cans," Happy said, as he approached Charle, holding a fish, "I brought a really nice fish to eat."

"Let go of your fears, my friends, men!" Ichiya said, "If we succumb to it, we will already be granting Oracion Seis victory! First we must find the base, where we'll trap them inside!"

"How do you suggest we do that?" Natsu inquired.

"We will shall take a ride in the great Christina!" Ichiya said proudly, "With it, we will blast them into nothing! Men!"

"There's really a magic bomber?" Sherry asked, "I thought it was just a myth."

"Do we really have to?" Lucy asked nervously, "I mean there's only six people."

"That is the enemy we must face!" Jura said, "Remember we can never engage the enemy on our own! We must separate them, and fight together!"

"I can't take this!" Wendy whined.

"Neither can I!" Lucy bemoaned.

"Will you to get a grip?" Charle yelled.

Natsu cracked his neck.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked, "We've got enemies to destroy!"

"One more thing," Jura said, "The death of Lord Frieze…"

"Your welcome!" Gray said, raising a hand.

"Put a sock in it," Lyon said.

"… has left a gap in the order," Jura continued, "As a result, many other dark guilds will be vying for Oracion Seis' favor, so it stands to reason that we will be facing others there."

"No matter, we'll destroy them all," Natsu said firmly.

"I wish I shared your confidence," Lucy cried.

With that, the group set out, save for Jura, who noticed Ichiya staying behind.

"Mr. Ichiya," he said, turning, "Is something the matter?"

"Not in the least," Ichiya said as he pulled out a vial, "Just need to test something quickly."

"Test? What do you….," suddenly, Jura was overwhelmed by an immense smell, which caused him to lose his footing and fall to the ground, immobile.

"Piri! Piri!" "Ichiya" mused, before in a flash he turned into blue, imp like creatures.

"What is this?" Jura growled.

"You Wizard Saints are so short sighted," a mocking voice said. Jura tried to glance over, and saw a white clad woman approaching. His teeth clenched.

"Angel," he hissed.

"Well done, Gemini," Angel said.

"Thank you!" the Celestial Spirits said, "It was lots of fun."

"What have you done with Ichiya?" Jura demanded.

"Oh, he's in the dumpster, where trash like him belongs," Angel sneered, "Now if you excuse us, we've got bigger things to do." With that, Jura could only watch as she strode away confidently, in the same direction the others had gone, as he lost conscious.

**Note: Well this is done, and I hope it was good. I'm still working on a way to amend canon in this, but I think I can do it. **

**It feels good to write a Fairy Tail story, seeing as the actual series has been getting a lot of hate recently. I know that doesn't represent the majority (since Fairy Tail is still consistently in at least the top four), but its still frustrating.**

**Be sure to read "Eye of the Fire Dragon" as well, and thank you for your patience. That said, I'm more in the swing of EOTFD at this point, as more ideas are bouncing around in my head for it right now, so I may work more on it than this. That's not to say this things going on hiatus, I wouldn't do that to my loyal readers, but it won't be updated as frequently.**


	68. Oracion Seis Appears

_**Oracion Seis Appears**_

"Do we have any idea where to go?" Natsu said, "I, for one, would prefer to know where my enemies are."

"We have a basic idea," Hibki said, "They're somewhere deep in the forest."

"Are you sure? That's pretty specific," Gray said sarcastically.

"And sarcasm won't help us get there," Lyon responded.

"I think Gray's sarcasm is brilliant!" Juvia swooned.

"What about him do you think isn't brilliant?" Lucy asked.

"Try and keep up Wendy!" Charle said.

"I'm trying, but I'm not very fast!" Wendy answered.

"Don't make me have to carry you!" Charle scolded.

"I can carry _you_!" Happy said to Charle.

"But in all seriousness, does anyone know where we're going?" Erza asked.

"Again, there's a basic idea," Ren said, "We know the vicinity of Oracion Seis' lair, but not much more than that. What we must first do is track down the members?"

"They're probably not stupid," Natsu said, "They'll know a trap when they see it."

"What we're banking on is their arrogance," Hibiki explained, "They won't pass an opportunity to crush some legal mages."

"Knowing them that's probably a decent assumption," Erza commented, "Remember though, stick together. We can't afford…" She was abruptly silenced when a shadow fell upon everyone. The surprise caused Natsu to stop in his tracks, causing Gray to run into him. Natsu was shifted a little, but for Gray, it was like running into a brick wall.

"Damn, what are you made of?" he said, rubbing his nose. Everyone looked up, to see what looked like an enormous airship flying over them. The ship had large wings framing it, coupled with a horse carving at the front.

"Is that…," Sherry began.

"Behold, Christina!" Hibiki said proudly, "The pride and joy of Blue Pegasus!"

"Its so big!" Juvia said, looking up at it in awe.

"Blue Pegasus isn't one for subtly is it?" Natsu muttered.

"That word probably isn't even in their dictionary," Erza said.

"Alright, we've got the ship," Lyon said, "Now what do we do?"

"Now, we start…," Ren never got to finish, as a giant explosion flashed over them. The ship was consumed in flames. Several people let out gasps.

"The ship!" Lucy cried.

"Its been destroyed!" Gray said. As the rubble came down, it kicked up a huge cloud of dust. And from that dust, emerged six forms.

"Damn!" Natsu hissed, as he took a battle stance, "How couldn't I have seen this coming?"

"Get ready!" Erza instructed, summoning up one of her swords. Lucy pulled out her whip, Gray and Lyon put their hands together, Juvia turned her arms into water, the Trimen and Sherry took their respective poses, and Wendy jumped behind a rock.

"Wendy!" Charle scolded.

As the dust faded, there stood the Oracion Seis, in all their glory. The fire blazing behind them, coupled with their confident expressions, made them seem like demons risen from hell itself.

"So this is the so called, 'Allied Forces'?" the leader, Brain, commented, "I've seen worms with more potential."

"Now don't be so demeaning to worms," Angel said, "At least worms try and wriggle away. The Wizard Saint and the pervert just collapsed before us." Those words sent a ripple of shock across the team.

"They beat Jura!" Lyon exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

"And Ichihya?" Eve said, "That's doubly impossible!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Natsu said.

"The snark isn't appropriate right now," Lucy said to Natsu.

On one end of the group, was a man with a massive purple snake, and red hair.

"I can hear their fear," Cobra said, "Its louder than ever."

"I've got money," the guy with orange hair, Hoteye, said, "So I'll be the one who is victorious."

"We need to do this quickly," the mohawk guy, Racer, said, "They are slowing us down." That just left the guy who was still sleeping. _I take it that's Midnight_, Lucy thought, though she did wonder why he was sleeping.

Brain took a breath as he cracked his neck.

"Oh well, this can be easily amended," he said, before gesturing with his staff, "Racer, can you clear things up?"

"This will be quick," Racer said plainly. Then, in an instant, he was upon Gray.

"Motor!" he said, and knocked the Ice Mage away.

"Gray!" Juvia cried, as she held up her arms, "Water Slicer!" Several blades of water jetted over at Racer, however, Racer easily avoided her, and struck at her. Juvia expected his attack to pass right through her, but instead, she was slammed in the stomach by Racer, and sent flying away.

"Juvia!" Gray and Lyon cried at once. Lyon, who was still on his feet, moved to challenge Racer, but was quickly intercepted, and knocked away easily.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to be brave, Lucy pulled out her keys.

"Time to show you what I can do!" she declared. However, the voice was echoed by another, very familiar one. Lucy looked over, and saw her reflection.

"Wha…," she began, only to be knocked away by the new Lucy's whip. Angel twirled Gemini's key through her fingers.

"Now problem there," she scoffed.

"Let's show them what the Trimen can do!" Hibiki declared, as his teammates vocalized their agreement.

"Let them take my love as well!" Sherry said. They then all rushed Hoteye, who held his fingers to his eyes.

"The greatest power, is money!" Hoteye declared, "And whereas you don't have that power…" At that moment, the ground seemed to turn to liquid, and washed everyone away.

"… I most certainly do!"

"Bluemblat!" Erza declared, as swords rained down on Cobra, who smoothly dodged, as did his snake.

"You're too noisy," Cobra sneered. Erza cringed, as she re-quipped into her one of her lighter armors, hoping to win this battle by speed. She whisked down towards Cobra, who ducked out of the way. The snake lashed out, and bit down, but Erza managed to get out of the way.

Juvia got back up, and ran to rejoin the fight, however, at that moment, Gray appeared before her. All he had to do was wink, and…

"Gray!" Juvia cried as she launched forward, only to be frozen.

"You suck!" Gemini said in unison, as they took their natural form.

"Juvia!" Gray called, as he ran to go help her, only to be swept up in Hoteye's attack.

During all of this, Natsu had decided to take on Brain. However, he wasn't having much luck with that.

"Chaos Dragon's Roar!" Natsu said, as he released his Dragon's Roar at Brain. However, Brain held up his staff, and dark energy flooded around him, blocking the attack. Not one to give up, Natsu charged, as he held up one hand, and swept it out.

"Chaos Dragon's Scythe!" A curved blast of energy lashed at the leader of Oracion Seis, who swung his staff, and dissipated the magic. Natsu ran his options, as he dodged another blast of energy. Dragon's Eye was among them, but Natsu didn't want to use it unless he absolutely had to, because if he used it now, he wouldn't be able to use it later. In the moment his thoughts were occupying his mind, Brain managed to get the upper hand, and knocked Natsu away.

As Natsu looked up, he noticed that Midnight, all this time, was still asleep. He briefly considered attacking him, but figured that his attacks probably wouldn't do anything, since if they did have a chance, Midnight wouldn't be asleep at this point.

"Chaos Dragon's…," He was interrupted, when he felt a pair of fangs sink into his arm. Natsu looked over his shoulder, and saw Cobra's snake retracting away. Natsu turned to fight, before doubling over. He grabbed at his arm, and noticed the wound slowly turning purple.

"Poison?" he said.

"There is no venom in the world more potent than that of Cubelios," Cobra said darkly, as he stroked his snake, "But don't worry, it won't kill you immediately. It will still kill you though, just slowly." Natsu fell to his knees, holding his wound.

"Natsu!" Erza called, as she sprung forward to help, only to be blasted by Brain's dark magic. With her down, all members of the Allied Forces, were on the ground.

"I'd call that pathetic, but pathetic isn't a strong enough word," Brain said, as he held up his staff. The staffs head began to glow, but as he was preparing to launch his attack, his eyes wandered slightly, and that was when he saw her.

"Wendy Marvel," he muttered, as he saw the blue haired girl hiding behind the rock.

"I… I…," Wendy stuttered in fear.

"Well, this is a stroke of good fortune," Brain commented, as he whirled his staff in Wendy's direction. The dark energy congealed into a hand, which reached in Wendy's direction, and grabbed her. Wendy cried out.

"Wendy!" Charle said as she ran after her.

"Charle!" Wendy responded.

"Take my paw!" Charle said, reaching. Wendy closed her eyes, as she reached out, and grabbed a paw.

"Aye?" Happy said, as Wendy pulled him in her direction.

"Wrong paw!" Charle cried. There was then a flash of dark energy, which Wendy and Charle disappeared into.

"Wendy," Charle murmured, as she fell to her knees, tears pooling in her eyes. Brain then turned his attention back to the allied forces.

"Now that we have that settled," he said, holding up his staff, "Dark Rondo!"

**Note: To those who were patient, here's your reward. Not much to do in this chapter save to bring Oracion Seis in to the fold. I've got a plan regarding a couple of the battles in this arc, but not all of them. The "Oracion Seis Arc" was one I was always dreading, because I honestly had no idea how to make it original, with just a change in Natsu's ability. I have a better idea about what to do with Edolas, in fact.**

**There is currently a poll to see which pairing is more popular for this, NaLu, or NaZa. Currently, NaZa is in the lead. Again, this isn't a poll to determine the pairing, its too see which is more popular. Whichever receives the majority, may not actually be the one used.**

**Now, there's something that everyone needs to know. I don't appreciate it when people PM me just to ask about updates. Never assume I've forgotten about any of my stories, because I don't. "I See Fire In the Sky" is the only one on break, as its conflict has been resolved, and is therefore, at the bottom of my story priorities therefore. "EOTBD", "EOTFD", and "Fellowship of Flames" all have my attention, but I update them based on how much idea I have on how to proceed. That said, I don't have (and never will have) an update schedule for any of my stories. I update them on my own time, and on my own inspiration. You can say I only have to copy the arc, but everyone knows I can't do that. With all that done, just try and be patient when it comes to updates. Constantly PMing me about it won't make me write any faster, so please don't PM me about updates unless you've got ideas how to progress the story.**

**The story I've got the best handle on right now is "Fellowship of Flames", since its not as bound to cannon as the "Dragon's Eye" stories are.**

**Be sure to review.**


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